True Colors
by Cinnamint Kitty
Summary: Bella Swan knew what she wanted until she went to Dartmouth. At 20, she finds herself as a single mother with no boyfriend, no job and no home. Will moving back to Forks make a difference? Or will her life continue going downhill?
1. Chapter 1

**I would like to continue this story but we will see. Reincarnated, Unintended, and a few others are my main priority. I just posted this to see how this would be received. If I get a number of reviews for it, I'll keep at it but only when I update my main stories. :D This story is named after the song True Colors by Cyndi Lauper but I prefer Glee's version. They sound better. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

I had grown up with a mother, a father and an older brother. My friends were my everything and we spent every Friday night at the football games, participating in the marching band while cheering on my brother during our down time. Everything seemed to be going well for me until I made the decision to move to the east coast to attend Dartmouth for college. I knew that in order to grow and become an independent individual that I had to leave my hometown. If I stayed in Forks, I would end up at the community college and a huge loser. That wasn't what I wanted. It wasn't what I needed.

I moved to New Hampshire the summer before I was eighteen, desperate to leave the state of Washington. Throughout high school, I worked my butt off in an attempt to graduate a year early and I had succeeded. Dartmouth was what I needed to spread my wings. It was a fresh start. I knew I would miss my family. My parents were still in Forks while my brother was in California, finishing up his college education with a degree in business.

James was a welcomed distraction. We met the night I turned eighteen when a friend of mine invited him to my birthday celebration. We hit it off right away and were soon tied to the hip. He was very protective of me, something that Emmett had liked. If he couldn't be around to keep an eye on me, he was glad that I had James.

As my college years passed, my friends came and went but the one thing that always stayed the same was James. Our relationship had progressed as the years passed and my closest friend, Alice, assured me that he would propose any day now. It didn't matter if we were only twenty. We loved each other and we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.

Two days after the conversation with Alice, James did propose, causing Alice to gloat. She was ecstatic and immediately went into wedding preparations. Little did she know that there would never be a wedding.

The night James proposed was the night both of our lives had changed. I learned that I was pregnant. It seemed like James was happy for me, for us, yet things seemed off with him. He never really wanted to talk about my pregnancy or the baby. Wedding preparations got delayed and Alice moved back with her parents who happened to live near Forks. My life was beginning to get lonely. There was no one left. James didn't even offer me any comfort.

My due date was beginning to get closer. I was reaching all of the pregnancy milestones. James and I were expecting a girl in July. The first time she kicked, I truly realized that no matter what was going to happen between me and James, I loved the life that was growing inside of me. I was truly happy to be pregnant. Even during the many trips to the bathroom, I loved every last minute of it.

I only had two weeks left until my due date when July 4 rolled around. The morning of the fourth, I woke up in unbearable pain. James wasn't home and I knew I lived a good ten miles from the nearest hospital. As slowly as I could, I stood from the bed only to feel a trickle of water slide down my leg, followed by a warm gush. Glancing down, I let out a frustrated grown.

My water had broken and I was in too much pain to drive myself to the hospital.

Searching frantically for my phone, I called 911.

"911. What's your emergency?" the operator asked from the other end.

"My name's Bella Swan. I'm twenty years old and my water just broke. I'm home alone."

"Miss Swan, where is your location?"

I quickly gave the 911 dispatcher my address and hung up with the promise that an ambulance was on it's way. My next call went out to James but I didn't have any luck getting through. His phone just kept running straight to voice mail. After leaving five messages, I hung up and sat on the couch in the living room, waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

The EMTs only took five minutes to arrive after I made my call. Once I had arrived at the hospital, my doctor had been paged. I was in full on labor mode but making little progress. I was only two centimeters dilated and the doctor had ordered me to be put on pitocin, a drug to jump start labor.

In between my contractions, I constantly called James but still had no luck in contacting him. His phone was turned off even after he had promised to keep his cell on vibrate seeing as I was so close to my due date.

There was no way I was going to do this alone. I didn't want to this on my own. James and I had plans. We were supposed to get married and raise our daughter together. At eleven that night, my world came crashing down when I received a text message.

_It's over. I can't do this. I can't be a dad. I'm sorry._

My blood boiled underneath my skin. How dare he send me a text of all things! Coward. Was this why he couldn't return my calls? Had he really been avoiding me all day long?

_I need you. Addison needs you. What's going on, James? _I sent back. It didn't take long for a reply.

_I've met someone, okay? I'll pay support but I can't be who you need me to be. _

_Fine. Ship my things to Forks. I'm leaving and you won't have to worry about responsibility. _

_Fine. Bye._

Curling up in my hospital bed, I wrapped my arms around my pregnant belly and cried. Two years had gone down in the drain in just ten minutes. It almost seemed unreal that my life could turn out the way it did. I was the top of my class among the nursing students and now none of that mattered. Addie was the only thing I needed right now. Once she was born, I would go to the admission office on campus and see what I could do about transferring my college credits to a school in Washington. I had only had one year left and with my mother always being home, I was sure she would willingly watch Addie for me when I returned to school at the beginning of September.

My phone vibrated in my hand and I glanced down at the caller id screen.

**Mom.**

Wiping away my tears, I straightened up and answered my cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Bella!" my mom cried out. My body immediately relaxed, welcoming the familiarity of my mother's voice. "How are you?"

"It's over, Mom," I said. A numb feeling was beginning to wash over my body. Something told me it wasn't because of my epidural. "James doesn't want me anymore. He doesn't want to be in Addison's life either."

"You can't be serious! Your father always said he didn't like that boy." As my mother rambled on, I could hear my father in the background yelling about paying James a visit. "Don't you worry, honey. Your father and I are in a cab as we speak. Once we got your message, we got the next flight out of  
>Seattle."<p>

"Can I come home? Will you take me back to Forks with you?"

"Honey, I don't think babies can fly so young."

"Then can we rent a car? I just want to go home. Please? I'll help pay. I have some money saved away."

My mother sighed and I knew that she would see things my way. "Isabella Marie! Don't you worry about the money. We can afford it. Just concentrate on having my little Addison okay?"

Beep.

I glanced at my phone before putting it back to my ear. "Mom, I need to go. I have another call."

"Okay, baby. We'll see you soon. We love you."

"Love you too."

I didn't bother to say bye. Instead, I quickly switched over to the next caller. It was then that I lost it.

"Bella? Bella, calm down okay? I can't understand a word you're saying."

"Oh Alice. Every thing is going down hill."

"What? Why?"

"James isn't here. He broke it off."

"Bella..."

I wiped my eyes just as two nurses and my doctor came. "I have to go. Looks like it's time for me to have Addison."

Alice squealed from the other end, causing me to pull the phone away from my ear. Alice's phone call was just what I needed to distract me from the heartbreak I was feeling.

"I wish I could be there, sweetie," Alice said. "My parents send their love."

My parents arrived just in time. Twenty minutes after their arrival at the hospital, Addison Elizabeth Swan was born. She looked just like I had pictured she would with small brown curls on the top of her bald little head. Her eyes were blue, like most infants, with a hint of green that resembled James' eyes. She was absolutely perfect.

As I held my precious baby girl in my arms that night, with my father sleeping in a nearby chair, and my mother in the cafeteria getting coffee, I knew what was going to happen. It didn't matter if James was in my life or not. Addie would be loved no matter what. She didn't need a father to be happy. I was enough for the both of us.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the first chapter! New chapter of True Colors means more updates to long forgotten stories! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Two**

I was cleared to go home with Addie two days after I gave birth. There was no point being excited to take my little girl home. James wasn't with me. He never once called to check up or visit. Instead of having him by my side, I had my parents.

When my father pulled up to the maternity ward in a rental, a brand new car seat in the back seat, I immediately felt my spirits lift. Here I was moping about James when my parents, my biggest support system, were completely ecstatic to be grandparents. My mother had always feared that I would become a mother before I became a college graduate but she had surprised me. She was absolutely thrilled to have Addison in her life and after she was born, when we finally had the chance to talk about going home to Forks, she was over the moon. She claimed that she never thought she could love someone as much as she loved me and didn't want to see her granddaughter grow up through pictures. My mother wanted to see it in person.

The car ride home from the hospital to my soon-to-be former apartment was quiet. That was what I liked about my parents. We were so comfortable around one another that conversation didn't matter. It gave me some time to think.

I would have to transfer my credits over to a school in Washington. Possibly WashU. I refused to go to Forks Community when I knew I would run into Mike Newton. The thought of him made my skin crawl. He was a nice guy and easy on the eyes but his pick up lines were down right creepy. Alice had already graduated so I knew that she wouldn't want to live in Seattle with me. Not many people would want to be roommates with a single mother who had a young child. I shook the thoughts from my mind. As much as I wanted to get right back into school so I could graduate on time, I knew that Addison was my first priority. I would at least pick up my transcripts from Dartmouth the first chance I got then with some free time, talk to someone in Seattle.

"Let's get this beautiful baby inside, shall we?" Charlie said as he opened the car door. My mother opened my door, carefully helping me out. She knew I was sore from everything and was more than willing to help me out. I glanced up at the third floor to see the lights on in my apartment. I cast a questioning glance at my mother who simply shrugged.

Something was definitely going on.

We took the elevator up to the third floor. The only voice speaking was my father, cooing quietly to Addison who gazed up at him. For a second, I thought I saw a small smile but quickly passed it off as possible gas.

"Who's a pretty girl?" Charlie asked Addie. "Your Papa and Nana are going to take you far far away from this awful place. Yes we are. You'll have everything you need and if anyone gives you any trouble, you come to your Papa Charlie. He'll take out his vir-"

"Okay, Dad!" I exclaimed as the elevator dinged, signaling we had reached our destination. "I don't think Addison needs to hear about your virgin policy just yet."

My dad laughed, clearly loving that he could get me to squirm. He had always enjoyed teasing me like that. It didn't matter who was within ear shot.

"Come on, Bells. I was just playing." I rolled my eyes and exited the elevator, my mother and father following. I could still hear Charlie talking to Addie. "I think your Mama is a little stressed out. You see, your daddy is a bit of a jerk. He hurt your Mama and if I ever seem him, I swear to -"

"Charles!" Renee practically shouted. "Honestly."

I laughed to myself and continued down the hall, stopping outside my door when I heard voices. My breathing stopped. What if James was here? What was I going to do? Was is safe to allow him to see Addie?

"Emmett, put that down!" a voice shrieked from inside.

Emmett? What?

"Be quiet, pipsqueak. It's not like the ass will miss this piece of junk."

"I hardly call a flat screen tv a piece of junk. And don't call me pipsqueak!"

"Listen, _pipsqueak_ -"

"Why I oughta -"

I opened the door to see an amusing sight. Alice stood up straight and tall, hands firmly planted on her hips, trying to intimidate Emmett, even though she was a good two feet short than he was. Emmett was holding James' pride and joy, the big screen, in his big hands. They both turned to look at me with sheepish grins.

"Yay! My niece is home!" Alice exclaimed as she bounced into the hallway, taking the car seat away from Charlie. It was then I realized that not only has Addison wrapped everyone around her little finger but that she also made adults into total idiots.

"Emmett Swan! I know you don't like the boy but put that television down!" Charlie ordered. Bowing his head, Emmett carefully placed the television down on the ground.

"Sorry, dad," my brother apologized before approaching me and taking me into one of his famous bear hugs. "Hey, baby sis. I sure did miss you. When Mom said you were moving back home, I couldn't believe it. I also can't believe that shorty there is your best friend. Are you positive you want her to be the godmother to that poor kid?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Alice glaring at Emmett before turning back to my parents. "Mrs. Swan, Mr. Swan. My name's Alice Cullen. I'm sure you probably don't remember me but I'm Bella's former roommate."

"You said Alice Cullen? Any relation to Carlisle and Esme Cullen?" Charlie questioned, a twinkle in his eye. The last time my parents had saw Alice, was two years ago and just before I got engaged to James. My father had been taken with Alice then too.

Alice nodded. "Yes, sir. They're my parents."

"How do you know Carlisle, Dad?" I asked, taking Addie from Alice. She was sound asleep so I placed her gently back in her car seat.

"He's the new doctor at Forks General," my mother replied. "Your mother is a lovely woman, Alice. I've had the opportunity to meet Esme. She has such a talent with interior design."

"She mentioned that when I told her I had to fly out here immediately," Alice answered. "We used to live in Seattle but my mother was sick of the city. She was raised in the country so she likes the smallness of Forks. Speaking of my parents..." Alice turned to me, a twinkle in her eye. "They send their love to you and Miss Thing over there." I smiled at the memory of Esme and Carlisle Cullen. I had met them a handful of times when they came to visit Alice and her mysterious twin brother. They had practically adopted me and I was sure that Alice had filled them in on my current situation. "My mother is trying to put together a nursery for Addie. I hope you don't mind, Bella. It's only because I plan on having plenty of sleepovers with my three besties. Seeing as Addison Elizabeth is my goddaughter, I can't have her being uncomfortable."

"Alice, do you think Esme would mind doing one of the spare rooms at our place for Addison?" my mother asked. "Bella's room is spacious but I don't think it'll fit all of Bella's things plus the babies."

"Mom," I sighed. "I wouldn't bother. Addison doesn't have a lot to begin with."

Emmett laughed loudly and I knew something was up when my father bowed his head in an attempt to hide his sheepish grin. "Well you see, Bells," Charlie stammered. "When we found you were having a girl, we went... um... we went a little overboard."

"What do you mean _a little overboard?"_

_Forks, Washington_

_Two Days Later_

Charlie wasn't kidding when he had told me that they went a little overboard. The guest room, or I should say the storage room, was filled head to toe with supplies for Addison. When I first saw everything, including the newly added on nursery, I was speechless. My parents had never been about money. They had always said that it didn't buy someone's happiness but clearly they had spent thousands on preparing for Addison. Emmett's laughter hadn't stopped since Charlie's confession... _two freaking days ago._

Emmett's infectious laughter made packing from New Hampshire much more enjoyable. My big brother had made me forget that I had been abandoned by the father of my child after so many years together. It even healed things when James showed up at the apartment, threatening to have us arrested. He had obviously forgotten that my father was the good ol' police chief of Forks and that he was cousins with the chief here. Not to mention that my name was also on the lease.

"Get your bastard kid out of here," James had snarled. He should have known that his remark wouldn't go over well with Charlie but none of us had expected Emmett to show up. Before Charlie could even reach James, Emmett had my scumbag of an ex-boyfriend on the floor with a bleeding nose. While I stared with wide eyes, Charlie and Renee merely shook their heads, while Alice laughed in the corner and Emmett stood there grinning like an idiot.

He sure was proud of himself.

It was then that Alice had pranced into my childhood bedroom, as if she had some Bella radar. Addison was strapped to her chest in one of those baby carriers. This morning she had arrived bright and early, claiming that she was going to give me some mommy time to get things in order while she took my daughter to show off to her family and some old friends.

Being a new mother, I had completely flipped out. Addy was just a week old and no one in their right mind would be ready to leave their daughter. Alice just smiled at me and waited patiently for me to calm down. Eventually, I gave in. It would give me some time to get things put together and I knew that Alice would do everything in her power to protect Addison.

Now here Alice was again, swaying slightly on her heels. A perfect smile graced her lips.

"Just spill it, Al," I laughed, knowing that if she didn't tell me the news she had soon that she would explode.

"There's a party tonight," Alice piped up. "For you and Addie. My parents decided to arrange it and your parents already agreed to be on board with it. It's at six at my place. Charlie and Renee have already left to help out Carlisle and Esme. I've been ordered to make sure you and Addie are presentable and to escort you over there. We have a little over two hours."

"Alice, I don't know..."

Alice scoffed and handed me a giant bag that she had been holding. "I took the liberty to buy you a nice, pretty dress for tonight's festivities and I may or may not have also spoiled my goddaughter. I hope you decide to wear the cute yellow frilly dress with matching headband on her tonight. It'll match yours."

All I did was sigh. Addie was a very good baby. She wasn't overly fussy and from the very first night, she sleep six hours and took two two-hour naps. If I was extremely lucky, she would take an evening nap, sleeping from six to eight before going back to bed for the night around ten but I was still exhausted. My mother kept telling me that I should sleep while the baby sleeps and at first, I did. After a while, my mind kept drifting to James and the what-ifs. The questions I had kept me up more then my newborn daughter did.

"Bella?"

I glanced at Alice, who bounced a tired Addie. Perhaps a little night out is what I needed. My friends from high school and my family would be there. I wouldn't have to leave Addison. With another sigh, I nodded.

"Okay, Alice. I'll go."

A squeal erupted from Alice's petite form and I had to remind her that she held Addison before she threw her arms around me. Forks was the fresh start I needed. James wasn't here and with my dad and my brother, he couldn't hurt me or Addison. I could do this. I would do this, with or without help.

This small town was exactly what I needed.

I was finally home.

**Join us next time when Bella says...**

_I barely knew the guy and here I was. Drooling over him like some love sick teenager. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

After much convincing, Alice had managed to force me into a pretty, yellow sun dress. It was great for a nice summer evening and while I preferred t-shirts and jeans, I could see myself wearing this over and over again. A matching headband was placed in my hair before Alice curled my hair, sending it into loose ringlets. My makeup was very natural looking with light brown eye shadow and light pink blush, followed by pink lip gloss. New earrings were placed in my ears. The look was finished off with my gold locket I had received from Emmett after hearing I was pregnant with a girl.

I had to admit I looked good. When Alice skipped into my room carrying Addie, I almost died right then and there. Addie wore a cute little dress with lace frills at the bottom. On the corner of her dress was Winnie the Pooh and a yellow headband with a white bow sat on the top of her head. A gold bracelet rested on her wrist.

_Addison _was engraved in a beautiful elegant script.

"Emmett got to buy the necklace," Alice explained. Her eyes looked down at Addie in an attempt to avoid my questioning gaze. "I bought Addie the bracelet and had it personalized with her name." So that's why Alice wouldn't look at me. She thought I would be mad at her but this gift... it was so beautiful, so personal. "I hope you aren't mad at me for spoiling her rotten. I just love her so much, you know? I want her to have the best."

Tears began to cloud my vision. I remember Alice vaguely saying something about my makeup running before I pulled her and my precious baby into a tight hug. "It's beautiful, Ali," I choked out. "I know I make a big deal about money but I just... I want to be able to do this on my own."

"I want to help out, Bella," Alice said. Her own voice was becoming thick with emotion. "She's my goddaughter. If you can't afford something, I want you to be able to come to me for help. Charlie and Renee, Emmett and Rosalie, my parents... we all love you, sweetie. We would do anything for you and this little girl." I smiled at Alice. Of course she was right. The people in my life would give an arm and a leg to help me out. God I was lucky. Alice let out a laugh and I looked down at her, raising an eyebrow. "Would you look at us? Two blubbering idiots. We have a party to get to! I can't wait for you to meet my brother! And I have a huge surprise for you, babe."

"Alice -"

"Trust me. You'll love it. You won't be able to pick your jaw up off the ground."

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, we had loaded Addie and the baby equipment into Alice's yellow Porsche. The baby slept the twenty minutes it took to get to Alice's, only waking up when we turned down a dirt road. I had never been to Alice's before so when I saw tree after tree decorated in twinkle lights, I was a bit surprised. We pulled up to a large three story white house that reminded me a lot of the house from <em>Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.<em> I half expected Geoffrey to answer the door. The entire outside of the house was also decorated with twinkle lights. Pink streamers and a few balloons decorated the front porch rather nicely.

Cars filled the front yard and I could feel the anxiety building. I wasn't so sure I wanted my newborn around so many germ infested people. Alice squeezed my hand in order to reassure me. I relaxed slightly.

I grabbed Addie's play mat and the diaper bag from the back of the car while Alice fussed over Addison. I swear Addie's eyes lit up every time she looked at Alice. She was one lucky little girl.

Before we approached the large, white door, it opened. I jumped, startled by the movement. My heart slowed when I saw Esme standing there, simply beaming. The smell of food drifted from the door, causing my stomach to grumble.

"Bella!" Esme exclaimed, pulling me in for a tight hug. I would have hugged her back if my arms hadn't been full of baby things. "It's so good to see you again." She pulled away from me, relieving me of baby supplies by placing them just inside the door. She brushed a piece of hair behind my ears and smiled, brightly. I had forgotten how much I had liked Esme. She was my mother when mine couldn't be there. Esme looked over at little Addison. "And this must be Addie." Esme carefully removed Addison from her carrier and cradled her against her chest. A small sigh escaped Addison's pink lips as she nuzzled after Esme.

Apparently Addison loved all of the Cullen women.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Esme exclaimed. She moved into the house, still cradling Addie. I wanted to roll my eyes. Addison loved anyone who held her. "Come on in!"

The house was huge even from the inside. Just inside the door was stairs that turned into a spiral. The floors were a beautiful dark wood and the walls were white but beautifully decorated with family pictures and little knick-knacks.

"You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Cullen," I told Esme as I continued to explore the area. Laughter came from the back of the house and I smiled. Emmett was here.

"Thank you, Bella, and please. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Esme?" she laughed. "You are extremely lucky to have this little girl, Bella. She's so beautiful and look at those curls. Simply gorgeous." My heart swelled as I received the compliments about my daughter. Even just a few days old you could tell that Addie would grow up to be a little heart breaker. "The party is out back." Esme handed me Addie before kissing us both on the forehead. "Dinner is almost finished. I made lasagna. I hope that's okay."

"I love lasagna!"

"Oh good! A little bird told me that you did."

The backyard was filled with people. Lucky for me they were family and old friends from high school. The back was also filled with twinkle lights. A banner was taped to a tent that said "_Welcome home, Bella and Addie!" _**Home. **Inside the tent were four tables. Two for food. Two for gifts.

No one had to buy us anything...

Emmett sat in a lawn chair, talking to a bronze-haired man. Charlie sat with them, laughing at something my brother had said. Or done. It was hard to tell with Emmett. Carlisle Cullen was talking to my mother. My uncle Dan and my aunt Sarah stood next to my mother with their two kids, Troy and Brad. Good thing I didn't have twins.

Jessica Stanley, a friend from high school, was busying herself by talking to our old friends of high school.

"Wow," Alice said from beside me. "I knew there was going to be a party but our parents really went all out didn't they? I swear, Bella. I didn't know it was going to be this big."

I laughed. "Something tells me that my mother had a big hand in the guest list, Ali."

When the doorbell rang, Alice's eyes lit up like it was Christmas. She kissed my cheek and bolted into the house, mumbling something about my surprise being here. Shaking my head, I made myself into the tent to get a quick bite to eat to hold me over until dinner. I settled on a deviled egg when I heard it.

"She has your eyes."

The voice was smooth but manly and simply breathtaking. I attempted to swallow the egg but ended up having a coughing fit. I held Addie tight to my chest in an attempt to not drop her while I hacked up a lung. A gentle pat came from the voice and when I turned around, I was met with the most beautiful set of green eyes. His bronze colored hair was all over the place and holy shit was he gorgeous. A modern day Adonis. I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts swimming through it.

I barely knew the guy and here I was. Drooling over him like some love sick teenager.

The man extended his hand as a greeting. I moved Addie to free an arm and extended my hand. "I'm Edward. Edward Cullen," he said, shaking my hand. So this was _the _Edward.

"Hi, Edward. I'm Bella Swan," I replied with a smile. "Alice has told me so much about you. It's nice to be able to put a face to the name."

Edward chuckled, clearly embarrassed that Alice had been talking about him. "And this must be Addie?" He gestured to the sleeping bundle and I knotted. "Alice talks about the both of you a lot. She's lucky to have the two of you in her life. You bring in the light." I shot Edward a confused look but he just shrugged. So he wasn't willing to answer my silent question. I was about to ask Edward what he had meant but a high pitched scream filled the air.

Edward quickly pulled Addie from harms way just before the air was knocked out of me. I sputtered, trying to free my mouth of blonde hair.

"Surprise!" Alice squealed as she came skipping up to me.

The blonde pulled back and I stared into blue eyes. Alice was right. I couldn't pick my jaw up off the floor. Rosalie Hale was blonde, blue-eyed and five foot eight. We met when we were in kindergarten and things just took off from there. She currently lived in California, pursuing her acting career. Not only that but she was dating my big brother.

"Holy shit," Edward breathed. "You're Rosalie Hale."

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips. So okay. Maybe Rosalie wasn't exactly trying to become an actress. She was the next big thing in Hollywood. When I told her about Addie being born she said she couldn't wait to come home but that it wouldn't be until Christmas.

What a dirty little liar.

Rosalie flipped her hair back and smirked at Edward. She loved the attention and Emmett accepted it. He knew her heart belonged to him. "Yes," Rosalie said with a light southern accent. She had moved from Texas just before kindergarten. Living in Forks and in California all these years could never erase the accent. "And you are?"

"E-E-Edward."

Oh brother. The poor guy never knew what hit him.

"Rosie!" Emmett boomed as he approached the group. His head almost hit the top of the tent. He pulled Rosalie into his side and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. My smile turned upside down as I remembered my relationship with James. We had once shared that kind of love. Now I could only hope that someday I would have it again. "You said you couldn't come to Forks for the party."

"Well, Alice had called me and told me that it would really mean a lot to Bella if she saw me." Rosalie pulled me into her side. "I talked to my manager and we arranged for me to take a month off before starting my next film. I explained to her about Bella's situation and since my manager is my mother and my publicist is my brother, it really wasn't a problem." Rosalie was very close with her family so her acting career had turned into a family business. After graduation, her brother, Jasper, and mother, Jen, packed up house and moved to California with Rosalie. After the death of Robert, Jen couldn't bare to be alone in the house that held so many memories. Too bad my parents weren't able to pack up and follow me after college.

I shook my head to clear away my thoughts. It didn't matter. I was home now.

"Oh, Bells," Rosalie cooed, taking Addie from Edward. "Emmett said she was beautiful but his description doesn't do this precious thing justice." Addie looked up at Rosalie, a small smile played at her lips. "Hey, pretty girl. I'm your Auntie Rosie and I promise to love you and to protect you." Rosalie looked up at me, her blue eyes filling with tears. "I could kill that b-a-s-t-a-r-d for hurting you, Bella. The two of you don't deserve that."

"Rose, it's really -"

"Don't you say it's fine because it's not. You were looking forward to raising Addie with him and he just threw you out. He's a pig. Forks will be good for you. For the both of you."


	4. Chapter 4

This is really just a filler chapter but it is needed to set up the rest of the story :) Enjoy

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

**BPOV**

I stayed at the party until ten, using the excuse that I had to get Addie home and that I was exhausted. Of course that had only been partially true. I really did have to get Addie home but I wouldn't be going to bed anytime soon. The night had proved to be interesting to say the least. It had been nice to catch up with friends and family after so many years. Then there was Edward. He was so fascinating and so gorgeous. It didn't matter if I had just come out of a two-year relationship or that I had just had a baby. Edward stirred things in me that I never even remotely felt with James.

Edward wasn't just good-looking but funny and smart plus he had apparently become fast friends with my brother. If he can put up with Emmett then more power to him. I found out that Edward was a year older than Alice and two years older than me which put him at twenty-three. He was a second year med student and wanted to be a pediatrician. When he had told me that he loved kids, my heart had immediately melted. We talked like that for almost three hours, just getting to know one another.

Now I found myself on the way back to my parent's house with Addie sleeping in her car seat and Alice in the drivers seat. She wore a smug smirk and would glance at me from time-to-time.

"What?" I asked after she looked at me for the tenth time. Trying not to laugh was hard. It was clear that she wanted to know something. Alice didn't say anything as she pulled into my driveway. Quickly, she got out of her car as I unbuckled my seatbelt. By the time I exited the car, Alice already had Addie.

As we made our way to the door, Alice let out an unladylike snort. I raised my eyebrow to her as we made our way inside. Addie was placed near the couch while we talked. It was time to figure out what the hell Alice found so damn amusing.

"You are smitten with my brother, Ms. Swan!" Alice exclaimed. I could feel that traitorous blush making its presence known. "I knew it! Oh, Bella! Imagine if you married my brother. Then we'd really be sisters!"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. How could she be talking about marriage when I had literally just met her brother? Ugh. "Alice," I sighed. "I just met Edward and came out of a long relationship. I have a baby for crying out loud! You can't just go marrying someone off after one meeting."

"But you and Edward are perfect for each other."

"Don't push this, Al."

"But, Bells –"

"No, Alice."

Alice crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "Fine." A crooked smile, the same as Edward's, slowly made its way across Alice's face. "But I'm sure you'll see things my way over time."

Shit.

**EPOV**

The party had finally ended around eleven, with Alice leaving to take Bella and the baby home around ten. For years, Alice had gushed about Bella. It was a shame that we had never had the opportunity to know one another at Dartmouth. I had graduated two years ago and being premed wasn't exactly easy. I was sure that if I had been younger or even around more, that there could have been something between us. I was so drawn to Bella Swan. There was something about her that I couldn't pinpoint. The couch dipped down beside me and when I looked over, Alice was there, smiling like the Cheshire cat. I had been so deep into my thoughts that I hadn't even noticed that Alice had arrived home.

"I stayed with Bella until Charlie and Renee got home," Alice answered before I could even open my mouth. "So?"

"So what?" I smiled, knowingly. She wanted information about what I thought of Bella. I would have to make her squirm a little bit.

"What'd you think about Bella?"

"She seemed nice."

"That's it? Just _nice_?" I suppressed my laughter, which caused my baby sister to glare at me. "Come on, Edward! You talked to Bella for three fucking hours. You wouldn't have wasted your time if you didn't think she was worth it."

"So I enjoyed her company."

Alice let out a loud sigh. She turned to me as she brought up a leg to place underneath her. "I know I'm being pushy." I snorted. That was a huge understatement. "Bella's my best friend and I just want her to be happy. Her asshole ex-boyfriend broke it off when she was in labor. I mean, really! Who does that, Edward?"

My fists clenched and unclenched at my sisters words. Bella had never once mentioned her ex but she didn't have to. I could see all the pain, especially when she looked at her baby but Bella was still a very attentive mother, always knowing exactly what Addie needed. It was amazing to watch.

"Edward?"

I shook my head in order to clear my thoughts. "Huh?"

Alice huffed. "You haven't been listening!" I cringed. Could she be any louder? "I _said _that you should take Bella out. She could use the welcomed distraction."

I wanted to roll my eyes at her but I knew that it would only set Alice off.

"Al, I love you," I told her. "I really do but you're delusional. Bella's a nice girl but we jet met."

"Edwaaaaard."

"Good night, Mary Alice," I chuckled. I stood before kissing my sister on the top of her head. She let out a quiet growl as I walked away from her. It was all I could do to keep from losing my cool.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, faithful readers! I know I've pushed out more updates for this story but it isn't my main focus. I am working on my other stories but this story is the easiest to write right now. I am half way through chapter 4 of misery and I'm trying to finish up Reincarnated. I suspect maybe another 5 to 10 chapters on that before it ends. I'd also like to address something. I don't care if you PM me asking me when I'll update but I do get upset when I explain to some people that I have a life outside of fanfiction and they still insist that I set everything aside to write. I do this as a hobby. This isn't my life. I write when I can.**

**Anyway, enjoy the story. I hope you review. There will be a A/N at the bottom explaining where I am with my current stories :D Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

Raising Addie seemed to come naturally.

She was a ball of sunshine, always smiling whenever Alice or I walked into her room. She kept me grounded and kept me from thinking of James. I didn't text him. I didn't call him.

Neither did he.

It was like we had never been together. We were both trying to move on with our lives. I was raising a newborn. He was probably banging his new girlfriend every day, not caring if he gets another girl pregnant. Alice tried to make light of my situation by telling me that James better hope that he didn't run into her anytime soon.

Rosalie wasn't much better.

Addie was nearing a month old and August was quickly approaching. Rosalie had decided to not return back to California until after my twenty-first birthday. She wanted to be there for such a big celebration. None of it mattered to me. My life revolved around Addison these days. A good time for me was cuddling on the couch with her as we watched Nick Jr or sitting in her rocker, reading stories together.

"You need it, Bella," Alice whined one Friday night. We had taken to having slumber parties every weekend. Tonight we were at my house, sprawled out around my parent's living room. Addie was on her stomach, staring intently at Rosalie while she sucked on her tiny, chapped hand. "Your parents already agreed to watch Addie for the night. They never get their time in to really bond with her. Besides…" A deep blush covered Alice's pale face. Alice _never_ blushed.

Rosalie seemed to notice this too and she quickly sat up from her position on the floor. Addie's little eyes grew wide at the sudden movement. "Okay, Al," Rose snapped. "Spill."

"I sort of met someone," Alice whispered. "He grew up here in Forks but hasn't lived here for the last few years. God, he's so dreamy. You know me. Usually I like the clean cut type of guys but all I can think about is running my hands through his hair. It's to his shoulders, a bit layered but I don't know if it just grows that way or if he gets it cut that way. And he's so smart."

A smile formed on my lips. Even if my life was in ruins, I was glad that Alice could find some happiness. She was always so busy playing matchmaker with everyone else or helping a friend in need that she never had time to meet someone for herself.

"So…" Rosalie trailed off. Alice stared at her blankly, causing Rose to groan. I had to hide behind my hand to conceal my laughter. "How did you two meet?"

"Not at a bar if that's what you're thinking," Alice stated then she got a dreamy look in her eyes. "I went out to dinner with my parents and Edward earlier in the week and there he was, sitting at a table with an older woman."

"Picking up another woman's man, huh, Ali?" I teased. Rosalie snorted, causing Addie to grin before she went back to her sucking.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Of course not! It was his mother."

"So he's a Mama's boy."

"Ugh. Can I just finish my story?"

"Sorry. I'll be good."

Alice let out a dramatic sigh. "Thank you. Now where was I? Oh right!" Then the dreamy look was back in her eyes as she relived her Tuesday evening.

**APOV**

**Tuesday Evening**

Family nights were often rare these days since my father was a doctor and Edward was a med student but things had slowed down at the hospital lately so we took to making time for one another once a week. This week it was Tuesday night. We had driven up to Port Angeles together, choosing to stop at Olive Garden before going to an eight o'clock movie showing.

Edward was telling us that he had chosen to work at a hospital as a pediatrician instead of opening his own office. He wanted to help children beyond the common cold. I loved listening to my brother. He had always been so passionate about helping children and every time he talked about his chosen career path, his eyes would light up.

That's when I saw him.

He sat two tables away with an older woman. Anyone who wasn't blind could tell that they were mother and son. They both had blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

I knew those eyes but I couldn't remember where I had seen them before.

And there was the smile. When they both smiled or laughed, their eyes crinkled at the edges. They were both so beautiful. My mother had begun to talk about her latest project. A charity that would help out single parents who had been abandoned by their significant others. A charity in honor of Bella and Addison. It was nice that she loved my best friend so much but I didn't care right now. I was too far gone.

Too engrossed in the beautiful man.

As I watched him, it was then that I made up my mind. I needed to have him. My family was used to my impulsiveness. It was just who I was. They knew I was weird but would I scare this man and his mother away?

I found that it didn't matter. This man was going to be mine. My future husband was just a few feet away. I could feel it.

"Excuse me," I told my family. I pushed my seat away from the table and stood up, smoothing my dress and fluffing my short hair. Edward stared at me, trying to figure out what I was up to. Then his freaking smirk appeared. He knew.

God I hate him for knowing so well.

After feeling satisfied with my appearance, I made my way over to his table. His mother cleared her throat when I approached to get her son's attention. Her son looked up at me with a smile and I knew I was in big trouble. This man would be the death of me.

"Can I help you?" he asked. Even his voice was beautiful.

"You've kept me waiting a long time," I told him. A little giggle escaped his mother's lips. I'm pretty sure she was drunk or on her way there.

He ducked his head in an apology. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, his accent making a small appearance. Yep. Definitely the death of me.

I held out my hand to shake his. "I'm Alice."

He took my hand in his and there it was. It was such a strong electrical current. He was the one. "Jasper. Please to meet you, Alice."

**BPOV**

**Present day**

Rosalie spit her Coke clear across the room at Alice's words. As soon as the guy's named escaped Al's lips, the room fell silent. She was going on about how she couldn't wait for us to meet him. They had exchanged numbers and had talked every night for hours since their encounter.

"Wait," Rosalie said. She held up her hand to quiet Alice. "You're the reason I have been having trouble sleeping?"

"What are you talking about?"

"God! I should have made the connection. I knew there was a reason the dumbass was so happy recently."

"I don't understand."

"Next time you talk to Jasper, make sure it's before midnight, 'kay?"

"Rose –"

"Your Jasper is my Jasper." I could see the wheels turning in Alice's head. She still hadn't made the connection. "My twin brother back in California, Al?" Alice's eyes were beginning to grow wide. Finally! "There we go. Good girl."

"My Jasper… is your… Jasper?"

"Yep. Oh and if you ever… y'know… fuck his brains out, make sure I'm not home okay? I really don't need to hear my best friend and my baby brother going at it."

"Um…"

"Another thing." Rosalie lived to embarrass Jasper. She always said that she had the right because she was five minutes older. "He has a birth mark on his ass that looks like Texas."

And there we go.

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><p><strong>Okay. So as promised I will let you know where I'm at with everything. There will also be a little bit of information about what's going to happen in the next chapters.<strong>

**Misery: I'm currently on chapter 4 and I have the next 15 chapters planned out. This includes the epilogue. So what can you expect in chapter 4? A few of Bella's friends will be receiving some not so very nice phone calls from the bad guy.**

**True Colors: The next 19 chapters are planned out. In a couple more chapters, we will see a few time jumps and watch Addie grow and reach all over the different milestones. In chapter 6, expect some Bella and Edward interaction. **

**If I Didn't Have You: Chapter 10 to Chapter 15 is already figured out. Expect some brother/sister arguing in chapter ten. But what will they be arguing about?**

**The Secret potter (for my Harry Potter readers out there): I have an outline until Chapter 8. Chaper 2 will include the first meeting for Harry and Ainslie.**

**Unintended: No idea how many chapters are left in this story. I'm sort of figuring it out little by little but I do have an outline for Chapters 11 to 15. Expect some bonding between the twins and the Cullens along with uncertainty from Bella.**

**The Will to Live: I wish I had more planned out but after reading an amazing story on Twilight (Six Different Ways Inside My Heart by april09 - definitely check it out) I think I can outline more for this story. I only have Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 figured out. Bella goes home in Chapter 10.**

**Reincarnated: Chapters 30 to 32. More to come. Alice has a vision that could change everyone forever.**

**Who I Am (Another Harry Potter fic): I have made the decision to take this down and rewrite it. One reviewer suggested that things happened to quickly and that I should draw it out some. So I will make it more about Lily's life with her adoptive American family and how she finds out who her real parents on and her arrival to Hogwarts will take place when she's 11 instead of 14. **

**Once Upon A Never After: My inspiration was the soap opera All My Children but I lost interest in the show once I found out it was canceled and everyone who ever died is suddenly alive. I have not abandoned this story and I have the next chapter figured out. Expect some fluffiness between our favorite soon-to-be couple! **

**Right Here and Two Worlds, One Family have a future. Once I finish up more stories, I will take those two down and write up outlines for those. They will be drawn out some more instead of everything happening write then and there. I'm a much better writer then I was when I wrote those and I would like to redo them.  
><strong>

**I also have an idea for another Twilight story but it won't be posted until I finished up at least 3 stories. It's based off of Sweet Home Alabama and i already have a summary written up. No title yet.**

**At 18, Bella and Edward were on top of the world. **

**until Bella decides to leave Forks, wanting bigger and better **

**things. Now, ten years later, Bella is a big time editor**

**with a fiance. There's just one problem. **

**She's still married to one Edward Cullen.**

**So what do you think? I tried to cover most of my stories and if there is one story that I didn't mention but you're curious about, either PM me or let me know in a review. I just touched base on my most liked stories.  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, everyone! Sorry it's been so long! I have been working on this ****chapter for the last month so I hope some of you like it. I wanted to add more but it was getting too long so what I wanted in this chapter will be in the next chapter hopefully. I'd also like to say that I did some research and manipulated it slightly to fit my needs. Anyway, enjoy and be sure to review!**

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><p><em>You come on with a come on, you don't fight fair<em>

_But that's O.K., see if I care!_

_Knock me down, it's all in vain_

_I'll get right back on my feet again!_

_Hit Me With Your Best Shot!_

_Why Don't You Hit Me With Your Best Shot!_

_I'm gonna get ya', get ya', get ya', get ya'_

_Hit Me With Your Best Shot!_

_Fire Away!_

_ ~ Hit Me With Your Best Shot/One Way or Another Mashup, Glee_

**Chapter Six**

July turned to August. August turned to September and it was abnormally hot and dry for the Pacific Northwest. Our air conditioning also chose this time to stop working, finding me ad Addie staying with the Cullens until my parents could find someone to fix the AC.

This also meant more Edward… ad more harassment from Alice about how she thought Edward and I were "meant to be." Every time she mentioned me ad Edward getting together I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. When she would finally realize that I wasn't paying attention, she would bring up Addie.

_Of course she would._

Addie had managed to weasel her way into Edward's heart in only three days. One night I had even woken up to Addie's whimpers only to find Edward ad Addie having a little heart-to-heart.

"Shhh," Edward whispered, bending over to remove Addie from her crib. "Why don't we give your Mommy some rest, hm? She works hard to take care of you. She deserves some sleep, don't you think?" Addie cooed ad let out a little gurgle that sounded like a small laugh. Eve I the dark, I could see the corers of Edward's mouth lift up into a small smile.

Edward grabbed Addie's blanket ad took a seat in the rocking chair by the widow. "You and your mommy are very special to this family, Addie. Your Auntie Alice loves you so much. I've ever see her so happy. Until your mommy ad your Aunt Rosie, she didn't have may friends. Your Nana Esme ad Pop Pop love you too. You'll always be surrounded by people who love you. Eve when you think you have no one, your family will always be there." Addie cooed again before quiet whimpers began to escape her. I heard the creak of the rocking chair, followed by the door open ad close.

I found Edward the next morning asleep on the couch with Addie nestled under his chin, both covered up by a pink fleece blanket, entirely too small for Edward. Alice had giggled, quickly taking a picture of the two. Edward hadn't lived it down.

"A little birdie told me that someone has a birthday today."

I jumped, early spilling a can of formula all over the kitchen floor. I looked at Edward who just stood there wearing a stupid grin. I hated my birthday ad Alice knew it but she still felt like it was her civic duty to inform that Bella Swan was now twenty one.

"It's not that big of a deal, Edward," I grumbled, adding a scoop of formula to Addie's bottle. "People have birthdays every day."

"Yes but today you turn twenty one, Bella. That's a very big deal and birthdays in the Cullen household are an even bigger deal so while you are a guest at Casa Cullen, you will be subjected to the Cullen birthday festivities."

I rolled my eyes before turning to Edward. "You sound just like Alice, you know that right?"

"Just be glad that I'm the one talking to you ad _not _Alice. She wanted to throw a huge party for you. Mom had to reel her in. She should be glad that you agreed to have your parents watch Addie so you could go out for a bit."

I snorted, remembering the sleepover almost two months ago when Alice had begged me to let her take me out for my birthday. With o working air conditioner, my parents, Esme and Carlisle had decided to take Addie out for the day before coming back to the Cullens where Charlie ad Renee would play with Addie before saying goodbye to their granddaughter for the night.

I could only hope that the air would be fixed soon. I missed home. I missed my parents. The only problem that could from leaving the Cullens is that Addie may miss her nightly chats with Edward. She was his and he hers whether he knew it or not.

"Happy birthday, Bella!" Alice practically shouted as she came bounding around the corer. Addison was securely attached to the front of Alice's chest. By the looks of it, she had already been bathed and dressed.

Sometimes it seemed like my baby was Alice's own little baby doll rather than her god daughter. Oh well… Addie was at least eating up the attention the Cullens were giving her. I couldn't but smile. She was going to be so spoiled… and so loved. My heart clenched when I saw Edward carefully take Addie from his sister. I could see the love in his eyes for her while she looked back him in awe and adoration, clearly mesmerized by what he was saying to her.

"So, Bells," Alice said as she leaned on to the counter top. "Excited for tonight? Emmett and Rose are coming. So is Jazz…" Her eyes quickly shot over to her brother who stood there with his mouth hanging hide open. "You better be nice, Edward. I really like Jasper and I want him to stick around for a while. Please, please. _Pleeeeaaaase_ don't go turning this into some sort of pissing contest."

Edward seemed speechless. I'm pretty sure no one – especially Alice – had ever pleaded with him before. He looked like a fish. I had to stifle a laugh.

"Don't worry, Ali," I told her, placing a hand on the shoulder of my best friend. "I'm sure Edward will be on his best behavior tonight." I shot Edward a grin, causing him to just appear confused. "After all, Rosalie _is_ Jasper's big sister. She wouldn't let anyone mess with her baby brother."

"I thought they were twins," Edward questioned. My grin grew a little bit larger.

"Oh they are but Rosalie's ten minutes older and she takes her big sister duties seriously. One wrong move, word, whatever and she _will_ end you."

Edward visibly gulped. So he was nervous. Great. Rosalie Hale was one of the nicest people I knew and probably wouldn't hurt a fly but watching Edward squirm was hilarious. There was no way I would ever tell Edward that I was bluffing out of my ass.

"Hello?"

I watched as Addie's eyes grew wide and a small smile graced her face. I gasped in fake surprise, getting a small but happy coo from my baby.

"Addie bug, who's that?" her eyes darted around the room in search of the source of the voice.

Charlie walked into the kitchen, with a huge smile on his face. His eyes landed on Addie and she went nuts. She cooed and kicked her legs in a poor attempt to get to my dad. I was expecting a laugh any day now.

"Peanut!" my dad exclaimed, taking Addie from Edward. "Are you ready for a day of fun with your Papa and Grammy?" Addie hung on Charlie's every word, just like she did with Edward this was different. When it came to Charlie, Addie looked at him like he had hung the moon. Even at two months old, it was clear that Addie idolized Charlie.

"Gee. Thanks, Charlie," I heard my mom grumble. She stood in the doorway, arms loaned with gifts, glaring at my father. Someone would definitely be in the dog house tonight. "You could have grabbed _something_."

Edward rushed to my mother's aide and grabbed the majority of the presents from my mother.

"Oi. Thank you so much, Edward. Nice to know that chivalry isn't dead yet. Unlike _some_ people, you are clearly a gentleman. Esme and Carlisle sure did raise you right."

Charlie rolled his eyes while Addie reached for his moustache. "Enough, woman. I can't help that I was excited to see my grandbaby. It's been a while."

"It's been _three_ days! You mean to tell me that in three days you're already through Addie withdrawals?" Charlie nodded, obviously afraid to answer my mother. "We live twenty minutes away! You could have stopped by whenever you wanted!"

"I had to… work?"

Boy he was in deep shit and he knew it too. It was kind of funny actually.

"Sure you had to work, _Charles_," Renee snickered, earning a loud laugh from Alice. She was enjoying this as much as I was. "Fishing with Billy doesn't constitute as _work, _my love."

"Speaking of Billy," Charlie began. "Jake's back in town, Bells. He's dyin' to see ya."

"Really? That's great! How is he? I haven't seen him in years. Obviously too busy in California for us small town folk," I teased.

"Well you know he dated Angela Weber throughout high school then ended things when Jake went to California and Angela to Seattle. When they reconnected and um…"

"Angela's pregnant, Bella," my mother finished for my dad who looked all flustered.

"P-pregnant? Is she okay?" I saw the looks my parents had and I knew that Angela clearly wasn't okay. "Dad… what the hell did Reverend Weber do?"

"Bella…"

"Crazy old man. How can he treat his own daughter so poorly when she needs him the most? I should go over there and ring his neck!" I paused, taking a breath before grabbing a pen and a napkin. "Give me Jake's number. They're coming to a birthday bash tonight."

Charlie quickly rattled off Jake's number before throwing a gift right at me. I'm pretty sure he was trying to distract me. I always felt like Reverend Weber was crazy and my parents had just confirmed what I had always thought. I opened my presents quickly, not really seeing what I had gotten only slowing down when my mother told me to. I glanced down at what I had received and nearly passed out. How did they afford so much?

"I um… got promoted," Charlie stammered. "Just before Addie was born. I'm no longer the police chief."

"You made Commissioner? That's great, Daddy!" I congratulated him with a huge hug before looking back over my birthday gifts. They had gotten me a new camera with built in video recorder. A locket with my baby picture beside Addie's. A ring with Addie's birthstone set in a heart along with a dew other things but the most important thing to me was what was in a large manila envelope.

A college transfer with a thousand dollars… signed with love from my parents and the Cullens.

"What… I don't understand."

"You wanted away from Dartmouth so quickly that you didn't talk to anyone about a transfer," my mother began to explain just as Esme and Carlisle joined us. "We didn't want you to give up schooling when you're so close to being done. So we sat down with Esme and Carlisle. Carlisle made the calls and did all the hard work. You start in January with twelve credits a week. It's 8 to 12 and if you want, you would still be able to find a job."

"Just don't go burning yourself out, Bells," Charlie added. "You're a mother first and you can't be a mother to Addie if you end up in the hospital. Got it?"

I nodded. It was all I could do. The Cullens and my parents were giving me my future back. I could be something extraordinary for Addie… someone she could be proud of.

"Another thing," my mother said. "Esme and I agreed to take turns watching Addie. You will come home, do homework then be Mommy if you do not work."

"We also ask that every Friday night, you take some time to just be Bella, alone or with friends," Esme told me. "I was a young mother with a husband in medical school. It was hard and I had no one. I didn't have any time to just relax. Even if you just want to stay in and take a nice, hot bubble bath with a good book. Just take a few hours for you."

"Is that it?" I asked, curious if there was anymore to this gift. My parents, Esme and Carlisle all nodded, causing Alice to jump up and down, clapping her hands.

"Good! Now if you will excuse us, we have a birthday outing to prepare for!"

It had taken Alice nearly three hours to make me over and deem me presentable. She had curled my hair, the result being loose curls. My makeup ended up being a bit dark, sexy and mysterious. She put me in a short black dress and paired it with red pumps.

Alice had done a great job with boosting my confidence and making me feel sexy. I hadn't looked this way since James and I were together.

I rarely thought about James these days but when I did, I would become angry. I never thought that James was really serious about not being a father to Addie… or that his parents would allow him to behave this way.

"Ready to go?" a velvet voice asked from the doorway. I turned around and it like the breath had been knocked out of me. Edward looked like sex on a stick with his green dress shirt and black leather jacket. "Alice sent me up here to get you." God did he look good… "Bella, hey… are you okay?" his closeness didn't go unnoticed by me, that's for sure. "Bella?"

"Sorry. I was just thinking."

"About your ex?" I tensed. Was I really that easy to read? Was I such an open book that Edward – my best friends brother – knew what was going on inside my head? "Look, Bella… I know you were expecting a happily ever after but maybe the way things are now… maybe that's how it's supposed to be. Perhaps you're meant to find someone who loves and loves Addie unconditionally. You're young. You're sexy. Any man would be lucky to have you, Bella."

I couldn't keep the small grin from appearing. Edward had managed to make me look at my entire situation differently. Maybe James and I were never meant to have our happily ever after. Maybe James was only meant to give me Addie and that she was meant to be loved by someone else… by me and someone else.

"Edward! Bella! Let's go!" Alice yelled from downstairs.

Edward and I shared a small laugh before Edward kissed my cheek.

"You'll be okay," he assured me. "Ready to go celebrate being twenty one?"

"Not really but I don't really feel like dealing with Alice's wrath."

A loud laugh escaped Edward. Good to know that he finds me hilarious…

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><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

The music was deafening as we walked into the club that Alice had insisted on dragging us to. I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off of Bella. My sister had done a great job dressing her. She oozed sex and confidence as she laughed and talked with Alice and Rosalie.

"See something you like?" Emmett asked as he handed me my beer. I couldn't find an answer for Emmett so I shrugged. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to Emmett about how much I wanted his baby sister. "Edward, relax. I'm not going to pound you just because you have the hots for my sister."

"Am I that obvious?"

If Emmett knew how I felt about Bella, did she know? If Bella found out, I didn't want to risk losing her friendship. She was beginning to mean everything to me.

"It's written all over your face, man." Fucking great. "Listen, Bells has been through a lot with that cock sucker leaving her and being a single mom. She would probably shoot you down in a heartbeat but I like you. You care about Bella and even more about Addie. You're good for her."

I let Emmett's words sink in as I scanned the club for Bella. I found her with Alice, Rosalie and an unknown man. Her head was thrown back as she laughed, exposing her beautiful neck. The blond haired man leaned down and whispered something to Alice. I could see the blush creep over her face. Rosalie rolled her eyes before punching the man in the shoulder. My eyes met Bella's that earned me a smile. God she was gorgeous…

"Edward! This is Jas…. Edward? Hellooooo?"

I jumped when I felt my shin take a hit. Fucking A did that hurt!

"What, Alice?" I hissed, bending down to rub the spot where Alice had kicked me. "And did you really have to kick me?"

"Yes, I did," Alice answered with a smug smile. "You shouldn't be staring off into space like that." I watched as her hand slid into another… a much bigger and tanner hand. "As I was saying… This is Jasper. Jasper, this is my brother, Edward."

Jasper extended the hand that didn't hold Alice's. I stared at it for a moment before taking his extended hand in mine and shaking it.

"Good to finally meet you," I told Jasper. "I've heard a lot of things about you from the girls."

"All good things I hope," Jasper chuckled. I couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Good things from Alice," I replied. "Some from Bella and Rosalie. Did you really put glue in Bella's hair?"

Alice's eyes went wide before they narrowed and staring me down in what could only be described as a 'death glare'. She thought I was pushing it when in reality, I was just curious to see if he really was the hellion Rosalie had described to me earlier in the car.

"Not one of my better moments," Jasper laughed. "We were fifteen and she wouldn't let me copy her history homework."

"Seriously? You put glue in her hair for that?"

Jasper shrugged. "I cut holes into Rosie's bras and then froze them as well."

"No wonder you're friends with Emmett."

"Are you kidding me? Emmett found out what I had done and kicked my ass. We're friends now but back then we despised each other. I was always harassing Bells and Rose. It was what I lived for!"

"So what changed? Bella and Emmett seem pretty fond of you now."

A loud, boisterous laugh came from behind me. I had forgotten about Emmett being there until he threw his arm around me.

"Bella got even," Emmett laughed. "She had our friend, Jacob Black, take a part Jasper's motorcycle. She delivered it to him in pieces." He laughed again. "She also poked holes into his condoms."

"And that was the end of my golden days," Jasper laughed.

So… the loving mother wasn't as she seemed. She could act nice until you wronged her and then she got revenge. I watched as she hugged a curly haired brunette who was crying. A tall, tan-skinned with long black hair kept his eyes on them both as he talked to a very angry Rosalie.

"I take it that's Angela and Jacob?" I asked Emmett.

He nodded and his muscles flexed. He looked pissed. "Angie has always been the good girl around Forks. She hung around with Bella a lot. Her father is the Reverend, very strict and firmly believes that you shouldn't have a child out of wedlock. His wife just goes along with the shit he says. When the Weber's found out that Bella had Addie and that the father - if you can call him that - wasn't in the picture, they labeled Bella a whore. When Angela said she was pregnant, they cut off all communication with her. They refuse to be associated with a daughter who is going to be an unmarried daughter. I should also mention that Jacob is a full-blooded Quileute Indian. That baby will be interracial. To Reverend Weber, that's an even bigger no-no than having a child out of wedlock."

"How could they do something like that to their own daughter?"

"They're a bit loony," Jasper explained. "Forks is a small town. We barely have 3,000 people. All there is to do is have sex and do stupid shit. Ain't that right, Em?"

Emmett grinned. "It was kinda funny… 'specially since Charlie was always the first one on the scene."

"Charlie once caught Emmett cross dressing right before the big homecoming football game," Jasper laughed.

"Only because you dared me to! We lost that game too!"

"Tell Edward _why_ the Trojans lost, Em," Bella ordered as she approached. Angela's eyes were red and blotchy but the crying looked like it was over.

"I had to get drug tested…" Emmett mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Charlie took me to get drug tested alright? Thanks to Jasper, my dad thought I was high!"

**BPOV**

In all of my twenty-one years, I had never felt or acted so carefree before. Up until I had met Alice, my days were spent being harassed by Jasper and hanging out with Angela. We were the good girls of Forks. We never did the whole party underage-drinking thing. We had venture out to Mike Newton's party once. He kept asking us to have a threesome with him and that was the end of that.

By the looks of it, Alice had really gone all out with making my twenty-first birthday special. She had arranged for my parents and hers to co-babysit, for Rose to be the DD and for all of us to crash at the Cullens, where we would have pizza, exchange gifts and relieve our parents of baby duty, where (at Rosalie's insistence), she would help with Addie if I was too far gone.

Together, Rosalie and Alice had it all figured out and being able to not worry so much about Addie was fabulous.

"Come dance with me," A deep voice said from behind. I was prepared to tell whoever it was to fuck off but when I turned around, I smiled. Jacob had a huge grin on his face. "Come on, Bells. I haven't seen you in ages."

"Alright." I took Jacob's outstretched hand and allowed him to lead me to the dance floor.

Jacob pulled me close to him and we swayed back and forth as Adele's Turning Tables blasted throughout the club. "So, you and Cullen huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "We're just friends, Jake."

"Sure you are."

"He's been helping me with Addie while I've been at the Cullens. She adores him."

"She's two months old, Bella."

"It's true. She does. She goes all quiet when he sings or talks to her. Her eyes get wide when she sees him coming towards her. She's in love, Jake. Edward is Addison's everything and I'm pretty sure she's his everything."

"I see the way he looks at you, Bells… and the way you look at him."

"Jake, come on. I have a baby…"

"You said it yourself that he loves her and that she loves him."

"Jacob."

"Look, Bells… you do what you want. I'll support you no matter what you do but just because James is a scumbag doesn't mean all men are. If you feel anything for Edward, it can't hurt to give a relationship a try."

"I barely know him."

"Isn't that what dating is all about? Getting to know each other?"

"You've been talking to Alice… haven't you?"

A huge grin, one that resembled a dog, graced Jacob's face. "Maybe I have. Maybe I haven't."

"You two are awful."

"So sue me. We only care about you and want you to be happy."

"Well I've think about it. It doesn't mean I'm going to go through with it."

"We'll see about that."

"Bella!" Alice came running towards us, tripping over and running into other patrons as she passed through the crowd. I had never seen her so ungraceful in heels better. "Bella! Your phone… and Emmett… then Edward…"

"Alice! Alice, calm down," I ordered, grabbing her by the shoulders. "What's going on?"

"I told them to just let your phone ring but they didn't listen."

"What?"

"It's James."

I surveyed the club and found Emmett holding my phone to his ear, waving his hands around in the air. Edward was trying to go for the phone but Emmett would push him away. Both wore looks of fury on their faces.

Crap.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to get a chapter out! School has been very busy these last few semesters so I didn't have time to write but now I do. I'm also currently working on the next chapter for Reincarnated as well so expect to have both Reincarnated and True Colors updated next Friday IF I'm around internet. Happy Reading!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

**EPOV**

Emmett, Jasper and I were busy goofing around and sharing extremely embarrassing stories of our sisters when Emmett reached into his pocket. Bella's phone blinked as it rang and by the look on Emmett's face the caller was about to get an earful from Big Bad Brother Bear. I didn't know Emmett very well but was a pretty laid back guy and it took a lot for him to get mad to the point the vein in his neck was about to rupture.

"That son of a bitch…" Emmett growled.

I grabbed the phone from Emmett only to cast a quick glance at the caller ID.

"What the hell is he calling her for?" Jasper hissed. I shrugged. "You should answer it, Edward. Better you than Emmett."

"She's going to be so pissed at the three of you if you answer," Alice said as she approached Jasper's side.

"Stay out of this, Alice," Emmett snapped. "Go ahead and answer it, Eddie. I know you have a few choice words for that fucker as well."

I glanced at Alice who silently pleaded with me to listen to her. And did I?

Hell. No. I flipped that little phone open and pressed it to my ear.

"Bella Swan's phone. Doctor Cullen speaking," I said as calmly as I could manage.

"A doctor huh?" the voice on the other end sneered. "The hot nurse and the doctor. How cliché."

"Is there something I can help you with? Bella's occupied at the moment. Would you like me to take a message?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? I want to speak with Bella," James snarled.

"And I said that she's busy," I replied as calmly as I could. "Besides I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to talk to the _boy_ who left her to be a single mother and homeless."

"That's a load of horseshit and you know it."

"Do I? I'm pretty sure her attorney is considering going after you for some type of compensation. You know for the emotional distress and abandonment."

"Like Perfect Bella would ever do that. It's only been two months. I'm sure she'd come running back to me if I begged her to."

"I don't know, man. She looks pretty cozy with this big muscular fellow."

"What?! That –" I heard James refer to Bella as a whore just as Emmett snatched the phone from my hand.

"Hey, James! How's it going , _pal_?" Emmett growled.

"I'm getting Bella. You were civil. Emmett won't be," Alice said before disappearing quickly into the crowd of club goers.

"Listen to me and listen good, you fucking snake. If you so much as _think_ about my sister I will personally pay you a visit at Dartmouth and rip your balls from your body. Got it? … Are you fucking crazy? No, you don't get to be in that kid's life. You threw _her _and _her mother_ to the curb. _You_ left my _sister_ home alone to have a little fun in the sack and she went into labor! Then _abandoned _her when she needed you. No one in their right mind would let you near that baby." Emmett's eyebrows shot up into his hair line at something James had said. I glanced into the crowd to see Alice talking to Bella. I lunged for the phone only to be pushed away by Emmett. "Do I have to remind you that my father is a _cop_? He has a gun… that he wears religiously."

Two threats in one go? Jesus, Emmett. Shut the fuck up already.

The girls were making their way towards us, now flanked by Rosalie, Jacob and Angela. Bella looked absolutely murderous.

"Dude, do you not understand English?" Emmett growled. "If you sue for custody, _I. Will. End. You…. _What? No, I won't tell you that!... You are fucking delusional!"

"Emmett!"

"Gotta go, Mom. See you soon. Kiss Kiss."

Yeah. Nice cover, Jackass. Bella will see right through that.

"Who the hell do you three think you are?" Bella growled. "I asked you to hold onto my phone. Not answer it and talk to anyone you want!"

"Hey, Bella. Look, I had nothing to do with it," Jasper told Bella. "It was all Edward and Emmett. The northern cavemen. I'm the southern gentleman."

Ass kisser.

Bella's glare turned to me and… did she just growl? Fuck that was hot.

No.

No.

Not hot.

Bad.

Bad Edward.

"Seriously, Edward? Did you of all people have to get involved?" Bella asked. "What happened with James… that's _my_ business. You should have left it alone."

My hand suddenly had a mind of its own as it pointed at Jasper. "He told me to answer it. I wasn't going to but he said it was either me or Emmett!"

Bella turned on her heels, glaring at Jasper.

"Traitor," Jasper grumbled.

"What was that?"

Jasper stood at attention and visibly paled under Bella's gaze. "Nothing, Mistress Bella."

Emmett snickered and Bella snapped her head around. How the hell does she do that?

"And you! Do you think this is funny? Some kind of game?"

"N-no, Mistress," Emmett stammered. "I-I-I think it's…. wood?"

Wood? The fuck?

Bella held out her hand and Emmett cautiously placed her phone in her out stretched hand. She quickly closed her hand around the small object, causing Emmett to jump.

"Now I need to go and smooth things over with James thanks to the three of you."

"Bella, I wouldn't…" I tried to plead with her. "This is what he wants. He wants you to call."

"Don't you _dare_ tell me what I can or cannot do, Edward Cullen! You are not my boyfriend nor my husband. If I want to call my daughters father, _I will_!"

Bella didn't even give any of us a second glance. Clutching her cell phone tightly in her hand, she stormed out of the club, only tripping slightly.

"Dude, you are so screwed," Jasper commented.

"Dad is going to kill me," Emmett added.

"Nice going, Bonehead," Alice quipped.

**BPOV**

My hands shook violently as I walked out of the club. What had possessed them to answer his call anyway? Don't they realize that he could try to take Addie from me? Did they want me to lose the only thing that mattered to me? If I lost Addie, I was nothing.

I had to try to calm myself before I called James. He needed to see that I was a strong, independent woman and that I didn't need him. I was way better off without him and despite what Edward may think, I wasn't running back to James. Some part of me did hope that he would see reason and be there for Addie but that's all it was. A stupid wish. Even if he declared to be there for Addie, I didn't need him or any man to make me know that I was a good mother. I knew I was every time I looked at Addie. Exhaling, I finally opened my phone and redialed James' number.

Please don't let me regret this…

"James?" his name sounded foreign coming from my lips. A name that used to fill me with such euphoria now only made me feel disgusted.

I shouldn't have called…

"Bella? Hey," James answered on the second ring. This was the James that I had loved.

"Hey," I softly replied. "Alice told me about you talking to Edward and Emmett. I want to apologize on their behalf. They should have let you go to voicemail."

"Edward?" James snarled. I chanced a quick glance to make sure I was still talking to James. What was with his attitude all of a sudden? "Is that his name?"

"What are you talking about?"

"_Doctor Cullen_," he sneered. "Is that who you're _fucking_ these days?"

I gasped and fought to calm myself. How dare he insinuate that I was screwing around with anyone! "I'm not _fucking_ anyone," I hissed. "And you left _me_ remember? You have no right to be pissed about who I _do_ _or don't _have sexual relations with. That is _my_ business. What is you with damn men needing to get involved in my personal life?!" I took a breath. "I have to get back inside. Alice is waiting for me. Is there a reason you called me in the first place, James?"

"What? Oh yeah." I heard James talking to someone in the background and my blood immediately ran cold. He was _not_ talking to the bitch he left me for was he? "So listen, I've been talking with Victoria…"

"Victoria?" I hissed.

"Yeah. She's my girlfriend. Anyway, she convinced me that I should give this whole fatherhood thing a chance." He has got to be kidding me… "She can't have children so we were hoping that we could see Addie. Maybe have her fly out around Thanksgiving?"

I huffed. "You do know that she's only two months old right? She can't travel alone and she's breastfed. She needs me with her."

"Victoria could…"

"Are you even listening? She needs her mother – that's me, not Victoria – to survive. And let's be honest here, James. You're doing this to please her! You don't give a rat's ass about Addison."

"I—"

"She can't seriously believe your bullshit!" Silence. Fucking figures. "I am _not_ sending my two month old to the east coast alone. You want to come to Forks instead? Victoria's welcome as well."

"Um… well, my parents…"

"Yeah. I didn't think so. Have fun with your whore, James. You will not be playing house anytime soon with _my _kid."

I threw my phone down next to me and watched the battery fly out of it. I could feel the tears coming but I would not cry. I refused to cry. What was wrong with people these days? James wanted nothing to do with Addie. He had only called because he was backed into a corner. How could he do this to me? He was supposed to love me. We were supposed to raise Addie together. why did everything have to fall to shit? Leaning back against the outside of the club building, I covered my face with my hands and finally let the tears go. Edward was right. I shouldn't have called. But then what? Would James just keep calling me? Would Victoria?

Some fucking birthday…

"You okay?' a velvety smooth voice asked. Why hadn't I heard him walk up? Was I that engrossed in feeling sorry for myself? I wiped away my tears and looked at Edward. He was leaning against the wall beside me. I couldn't help but glare at him.

"What?"

"You were right, okay?" I hissed. "Stupid, naïve Bella Swan should have listened to someone for once in her pathetic little life, right? Charlie never did like James. Why didn't I listen to my own father?"

"Bella…"

"Why didn't you just let it go to voicemail? You should have just left it alone," I snapped. I knew I was being irrational but I didn't really care at this point. James accusing me of jumping into a new mans bed then only wanting Addie to please his whore of a girlfriend had thrown all rational thought that I had right out the window. "You know he called because he wanted Addie to visit him for Thanksgiving."

"But that's good, isn't it? He's finally –"

"No! he doesn't give a damn about my baby. His girlfriend – the one he left me for – convinced him what a _precious gift_ she was because _Victoria_ can't have kids." I snorted. "Can you believe it? He doesn't want Addie at all. He just wants to stay in her good graces! I even suggested they come to Forks and he turned me down. If he really wanted to see Addie he would be willing to come here right?"

"Right," Edward murmured. "Well for what it's worth, I think you did the right thing by saying no to him."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh fuck off, Edward. I never would have called him if you and Emmett would keep your damn mouths shut. I never would have answered the selfish prick in the first place."

"Bella?"

I tore my eyes away from Edward's face and looked around him. Alice stood there looking small and lost, ringing her hands tightly together.

"You didn't come back in and I got worried," she said softly. I couldn't help but shoot her a gentle smile.

"I'm fine, Al, but can we go now? I don't really feel like partying anymore. Certain people have ruined it for me."

"Um, sure. Let me just go and get Rose and Ange. We thought we'd have a sleepover with Addie."

"Sounds great."

"Okay then…" Alice gave me a sad smile and I couldn't help but feel guilty. I was letting my anger towards James and the others keep me from having fun. Alice had only wanted my twenty-first birthday to be filled with fun and no baggage for just one night. It was obvious that she felt like she had failed.

"Bella…"

I looked back at Edward and glared. "Stay away from me, Cullen. I have nothing else to say to you."

"We were only trying to help."

"Is that what you call helping me, Edward?" I huffed. "You only made things worse."

"I'm sorry…"

"Go tell it to someone who cares." I saw my girls walk out of the club and walked away from Edward without another word.

I was so done with idiotic men. Edward was supposed to be one of the decent guys. He was supposed to listen to what I had to say and continue to be unbiased. He wasn't supposed to be involved with my dirty laundry. Feeling a nudge to my left, I glanced over.

"Hey. You going to be okay?" Rosalie asked.

"No but I will be," I answered truthfully. Rosalie wrapped an arm around me while we waited for a cab.

And I would be alright. Maybe not right away but eventually.

James would be easy to forget about but Edward would be hard especially when his sister was my best friend. I was enjoying being around him but after tonight I knew I had to go home. I couldn't keeping being at the Cullens and seeing him daily. It would hurt too much. I had begun wishing for something more.

No more.

From now on I was Bella Swan, single white female and I didn't need a man to make me happy. All I needed was Addie and I would be content for the rest of my life.


	8. Chapter 8

**You guys need to know that I am so proud of myself right now! What is this now? Three WEEKLY updates in a row? 2 for True Colors and 1 for Reincarnated? I have internet at my new house so I'm hoping to keep up with updates until the beginning of September when school starts. I hope to get a Reincarnated update out next week but right now True Colors seems to have taken control. I'm ALMOST done with Chapter 9 of TC so I'm going to hopefully post that on Sunday. :) Enjoy and be sure to review!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

**BPOV**

The sound of the door slamming echoed throughout the downstairs. I, however, was on a mission. Get into the shower where I was safe. No way would I let my friends see me cry. If I got it out now, I could hold myself together when dealing with the Spanish Inquisition. Time in the shower would allow me some time to think.

Of course I had been an irrational bitch when all Edward had wanted to do was help me out. I knew that I was more pissed off at James than the guys. What the hell was wrong with me? I was level-headed Bella Swan. I didn't attack people without reason.

I made my way into the bathroom that was attacked to the guest room and Alice's room. After locking both doors, I allowed myself a glance into the mirror. My curly hair looked ratty and I looked like a raccoon from all the eyeliner and mascara that had gathered under my eyes from the tears.

I looked like hell.

I unzipped my dress and allowed it to fall to the ground in a pool of material. The bathroom was quickly filling with steam from the shower so I climbed in. My muscles relaxed almost immediately. I took my time washing my hair and body. It felt so good to relax and just be for once. No babies. No friends. No boys.

No matter how relaxed I felt, I couldn't stop thinking about James' surprise phone call. It had been two months since Addie had been born and now all of a sudden he was calling about her. I couldn't help but be a little bit grateful to Victoria thought. Whether it was to impress or not, she had managed to get James to call about her. Did that mean I was ready to send my baby clear across the country to spend time with a father she doesn't know? Of course not. James did not want Addie and I'd be damned if I let him have her.

"Bella?" a quiet voice asked which was followed by quiet rapping. "Are you alright? You've been in there a while."

I turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing two big, fluffy ones; one for my body and one for my hair. I glanced in the mirror and could see that it had done me some good. The color was slowly returning to my face and my eyes weren't nearly as bloodshot as they had been.

"I'll be right out, Alice," I called back. "I'm just finishing up."

"Alright then," Alice said with a sigh."I laid out some PJ's for you and Charlie just brought Addie back. He said to tell you that someone's coming to look at the A/C tomorrow and that he'll call when you two can go back home."

I dried my hair with the towel a little bit before wrapping it up and placing it on top of my head. "Okay, Al."

"Okay then. We'll get Addie ready for bed and give her a bottle. Come down when you're ready."

"Alice?"

"Yeah, Bells?"

"Thanks…" I sighed. "For everything."

I could practically hear her smiling. "You're welcome. See you downstairs."

I heard her walk away and deemed it safe to exit the steamy bathroom. I unlocked both doors before exiting the door that led to the guest room. Sure enough Alice had pulled out a purple cami and short set out for me. I laughed when I saw she had even picked out my underwear. My fluffy pink robe with green frogs – the ultimate security blanket for me – and some of those super soft slipper socks were placed on the bed as well.

Alice Cullen was a Godsend.

I quickly dressed in my pajamas and ran a comb quickly through my hair before slipping my robe and socks on. I glanced around the room to see if I needed anything. By the looks of it, the girls had grabbed the things Addie would want and need. It was clear that those three girls would be great mothers one day whether they wanted to admit it or not. They loved my little girl like they had carried and given birth to her themselves.

_Edward loves her too_, my inner voice said to me.

Edward and Addie did have some sort of unbreakable bond. I couldn't take that away from the two of them. I had never even been angry at Edward to begin with. James had set me off. Fear had just made me more upset. My whole situation was one big cluster fuck.

_So do something about it._ My inner voice apparently didn't know how to shut the hell up when I needed the bitch to.

I snatched a pillow and the quilt off my bed before hitting the light switch on my way out. I made my way downstairs to join my girls in the living room for a movie. _Tangled_ was just beginning to play. I couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at Alice.

"A Disney movie? Really, Al?"

She shrugged as she placed Addie in her swing. She was already immersed into the movie. Her eyes followed Rapunzel as she sang.

"You can never go wrong with Disney, Bella," Alice replied. I took a seat between Addie and Angela while Alice sat between Addie and Rose. "One… there is a child present. Those two wanted to do a Toy Story marathon." I laughed as she pointed at Angela and Rosalie. "But I overruled them. Kids like color and lots of movement. Plus she's awesome."

"Plus Rapunzel's a raving lunatic like you," Rosalie teased.

"Shush!" Alice giggled, throwing Addie's stuffed giraffe at her. "Not only is Disney a good choice for an infant but it's a good choice for her mommy as well."

There goes that eyebrow again.

"Well you've obviously had a rough night tonight, Bella. I don't know who made you angrier but someone royally pissed you off tonight," Angela said.

I glanced at her. Angela Weber was known for not swearing and reprimanding those who let out even the slightest curse. She didn't say words like pissed or crap. She would never say the word fuck. She never even spoke ill of anyone but I knew that look. I was familiar with it. I wore it for nine months.

The pregnancy hormones were about to kick in and we were the lucky ones who got to deal with them.

"So what's going on?" Rosalie asked. "One minute you're dancing with Jake then the next you're flying towards the guys like a bat out of hell. Then you storm out and Alice is ushering us out."

"James called," I answered. "His girlfriend, Victoria -"

"The skank he left you for?!" Angela shouted. I looked between her and Addie. "Oops. Sorry." See? Pregnancy hormones. "So you mean she was right there when he called you?"

I nodded. "She can't have kids and kept bugging James about how kids are a gift or something. They wanted her to come to New Hampshire for Thanksgiving."

Rosalie growled. "Please tell me you told him to fuck –" We all glanced at Addie. She was out like a light, her swing swaying gently back and forth. " – off."

"Basically," I chuckled. "Only… nicer? I told him he's not allowed to place house with his whore and my daughter. I even invited James and Victoria out here for Thanksgiving. He refused. If he really wanted to see Addie, he would come out here right?" My friends nodded. "Then I blew up at Edward and I don't even know why. I was just so angry at James. I wanted just a few minutes to calm down and he was just… there. I lost it. Now I feel horrible. I don't know if he'll even accept any lame ass apology that I can manage to cook up."

My friends offered me a sympathetic smile, not really knowing what to say to me. I didn't even know what I'd say to one of them if they were in my place. Why did life have to be so friggin' complicated? Life for a twenty-one year old, single mother or not, should not be this hard.

"All you can do is say you're sorry," Rosalie said. "I haven't known him long but he seems like a decent guy. " Rosalie looked at Alice. "He is right?" Alice nodded. "See? Alice would not lie about what kind of guy her brother is. Actually, I don't think it's possible for her to lie." She looked at Alice again. "Are you even human? Are you capable of lying?"

We all looked Alice to wait for an answer. She sighed. "I'm afraid I'm incapable of lying. People just know when I'm full of it. Besides, if I didn't think highly of my brother, why would I try to push him with Bella? I couldn't do that to her, let alone Addie."

"Okay!" Angela chimed in. We laughed at how loud she had been. "So, Mr. Sex Hair is a stand up guy who adores Princess Addison and has the hots for our resident milf. I say apologize and then jump his hot ass."

"Ange!" I exclaimed. I could practically feel my whole body turn red from embarrassment.

"God, Bells. It's not like you're some innocent virgin and we all know that you want to do the nasty with Sex Hair. Even Emmett noticed the way you two were looking at one another tonight. I know you'll just deny it, say you're not ready, blah blah blah…"

"And your point is?"

"My point is that Edward has eyes for you, Mama. It does not hurt to put your feelings out there. Not all guys are like James. Your best friend is his siter. Her will not jeopardize his relationship with her or the friendship you two have. There are guys like Charlie Swan. Guys like Jacob Black. Two great guys who treat their women right. You and Edward Cullen have the potential to be something great. Don't let one bad experience ruin future experiences for you."

I sighed and glanced at my sleeping baby before reaching over to restart her swing. Since the moment I returned to Forks, Edward had been a big part of our lives. I wasn't going to deny that I found him attractive. My dreams were filled with Edward almost nightly. I still felt guilty for blowing up at him like I had. I had to apologize or else we would never be anything.

"Al," I began, turning to look at my best friend. "Have you talked to Edward since we left? Do you know what his plans are for the rest of the night?"

"I haven't heard from him but Rose talked to Emmett."

"All Emmett said was that he was heading to Charlie's. He wanted to know if you were okay and said he put Edward and Jacob in cabs home. That was thirty minutes ago so he should be home soon," Rose said.

"You don't think he got wasted as soon as I left do you?"

"It's quite possible but Emmett probably kept him in line. We'll only know once he gets here."

I took a deep breath before letting it out. "Can you guys keep an eye on Addie for me? I'm going to go wait for Edward out on the porch. I need to apologize and if I don't leave this room now I'll lose my courage."

The girls nodded as I stood. I pulled my robe tightly around me, grabbed my blanket and left to go outside.


	9. Chapter 9

**Yes yes yes! I am BACK! After MONTHS of not updating, I think I finally got my mojo back. I am so sorry guys but Bella and Edward didn't want to cooperate with me. Thanks to my good friend Colie88 she was able to help me out and come up with a good portion of this chapter. Speaking of Colie88( u/1650637/Colie88), she has a HP fic out there called Life As We Know It ( s/9691829/1/Life-As-We-Know-It). I'm not sure if we have a lot of the same readers but if you know Colie88 and follow her story then she wants to let ya'll know that she lost her flash drive which is why she hasn't been able to push out a weekly update and she apologizes.**

**Now, PLEASE go and drop me a review after reading. I'd really appreciate it and I promise guys, I won't be gone so long next time. I'm already working on the next chapter and depending on my work schedule, I hope to push it out by the end of the weekend. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

Even with my robe tightly secured around me, the air was cool. Summer was on its way out and fall was on its way in. Knowing Forks, winter wouldn't be too far behind. I sat down on the porch swing with the blanket wrapped around me. Pushing myself back and forth with my feet, I tried to gather my thoughts. Edward would be home soon and I still didn't know what I was going to say to him. What did one say to a friend after behaving like a crazy person? I needed to figure it all out before I talked to Edward. With those eyes and that damn crooked smile, he made me lose the ability to think clearly.

So I hadn't known the guy for more than two months. Sue me. I wasn't blind. I was back to being that awkward school girl when it came to Edward Cullen. If Angela was right, then Edward felt the way I did. He was good-looking and sweet… and most importantly, he loved my baby.

I had behaved like a total bitch. If he never spoke to me again, could I really hold it against him? He had only ever been nice to me. Now I was the resident crazy of Forks, Washington. I pressed the palms of my hands to my eyes and exhaled in a lame attempt to calm my nerves.

What was I going to say to the man who had me weak in the knees and not thinking clearly?

"Hey. I wanted to say I was sorry. I was a bitch and since I couldn't take it out on him, I chose you."

Yeah… No. That was bad. I let out a frustrated growl before standing from the swing. Maybe walking around a bit would help. With the blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I walked the length of the porch. I had to come up with a better apology.

"Sorry I used you as a punching bag."

I shook my head. This was not going well and he wasn't even here yet! I pounded my head with my fist.

"Come on, Swan! Think!"

The sight of headlights traveling down the long drive alerted me to Edward's arrival. I gulped. What the hell was I going to say to him? He was going to laugh in my face. I sighed. This was pointless. No apology that I could cook up would ever make the way I behaved alright.

As Edward got out of the taxi, I moved to stand on the bottom step. The sound of the car door slamming caused me to jump. I saw the scowl as he turned. His green eyes looked darker than I remembered.

"Get out of my way, Bella."

I had never heard him sound so angry before. He had to know just how sorry I was. Couldn't he see it written all over my face? I didn't just stand outside in shorts and a ratty t-shirt for just anyone. "We need to talk. I wanted to apologize for my behavior."

He took a step closer to me. Even with me on the step he practically towered over me. The smell of alcohol on his breath was quick to hit my nose. How much had he had after we left?

"Of course. But you know what? I don't care."

I winced. His harshness surprised me even if I did deserve it. He moved to go around me but I quickly blocked his path. No way was I letting him go without resolving this mess first. Isabella Swan did not back down.

"Move or I'll make you."

I crossed my arms over my chest, challenging his threat. Didn't he know by now that I was as stubborn as a mule? "Make me then. First you're going to hear me out."

"I don't care to be around you right now. You chose not to listen to me so I'm returning the favor."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Damn it, Edward! I'm trying to apologize for being a huge irrational, raging bitch!"

"Glad you finally realize it."

My mouth hung open. He was supposed to be different. He prided himself on being a gentleman.

_He's drunk, Bella. He isn't thinking clearly._

I squared my shoulders and stood tall. There was no way I was backing down now.

"What else do you want me to do? I'm sorry for how I acted. Despite everything, I do care about you. I value what we have." Why couldn't he see how much he meant to me? Next to his sister, he was my best friend.

He snorted. "You sure fooled me."

I wanted to pull my hair out! Why was I even bothering with an apology was beyond me. It was obvious that no matter what I said, he wasn't going to listen to me.

"God, Edward!" I shouted. "You are the most infuriating person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting! Can you really blame me for the way I acted? You know what he did to me."

My anger continued to grow but it wasn't directed toward the green-eyed man in front of me. Even clear across the country James was ruing everything.

"Bella!" he snapped. "Just save it. I don't care and I don't want to hear it. All I want to do is go inside and go to bed. Tell your apology to someone else who gives a damn. Now _move_."

Without a word, I moved out of the way. He stomped pass me into the house, slamming the door behind him. I stood frozen in my spot until the sound of a wailing baby caught my attention.

Blinking back my tears, I turned to the door to tend to my crying child. I jumped, seeing Alice standing there. "Bella? Is everything okay?"

I shook my head even though I mumbled that I was fine. Everything was such a mess and she knew. Alice always knew. She gazed at me with her ocean blue eyes before wrapping me in her arms. It didn't matter to her if she was under five foot or that I towered over her. She held me and refused to let go.

My best friend knew that I wasn't okay. Nothing was going to be okay for a while. A tear rolled down my cheek as Alice tried to tell me that everything would eventually be alright.

"I'm fine," I whispered more to myself then to her.

The sound of Addie's cries started to subside and I knew – for her sake - that I had to try again with Edward in the morning. If it didn't work then I'd pack up our stuff and go home whether the A/C was working or not. There was no way I could stay in the same house with him. I wouldn't be able to deal with his anger. If I didn't succeed then Addie's little heart would surely be broken.

Just like her Mama.

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><p><strong>Alice POV<strong>

It took Bella a while to fall asleep after her fall out with my brother. Once she stopped crying, I led her upstairs to my room. No way was I putting her up on the third floor where the guest room was. She didn't need to be anywhere near Edward.

Exhausted, Bella had crawled into my bed. Her silence was beginning to scare me. She was slowly shutting herself in. it had taken a lot to get her to open up and take an interest in pursuing something with Edward. How could he just shut her down like that? My mother had raised him better than that.

Rosalie crawled into bed with Bella and me while Angela soothed Addie. Rose's blue gray eyes met mine. She ran her fingers through Bella's hair. The gentleness of her touch seemed to calm her down quite a bit we watched as Bella began to doze.

"Do you have everything covered here?" I asked Rose and Angela.

"Stay out of it, Alice," Rose ordered. I heard the finality in her voice but I couldn't find it in me to care. I was ashamed of my brother's behavior. Something needed to be done and I was just the person to handle the job. I could be very persuasive.

"You're going to just make things harder for Bella. Let's go to bed and once everyone can sleep off the alcohol, we'll get Bella and Edward to talk to each other."

I shook my head. "Drunk of not, Edward shouldn't have behaved that way."

"Neither should have Bella."

"Whose side are you on, Rosalie?"

She sighed as she continued to run her hands through Bella's hair. "Bella's. Always Bella's. But they both had too much to drink tonight and James totally fueled the fire. He knew what he was doing. I'm sure Emmett didn't help the situation either. That man has no filter. He probably got Edward plastered and bitched about James the entire time. Edward's anger was probably just misplaced." I scowled. "Much like Bella's was."

"When have you known to me to just sit back and let everything run its course?" Both Rosalie and Angela were quiet. "Exactly! Bella is my best friend. She and my idiot brother are perfect for each other!"

"We know that, Alice, but you need to stay out of it."

I climbed off my bed. "I can't, Rose. I'm sorry." Without another word, I walked into the hallway and closed my door.

No one needed to hear me screaming at my stupid brother.


	10. Chapter 10

**So this isn't how I wanted this chapter to go at all. Alice decided to listen for once but Bella and Edward? Not so much. Bella was all fine and cooperative until Edward came along. This chapter was inspired by Hanson's Love Song. Go look it up on Youtube to see what I'm talking about. Now because of this chapter, I have to go rewrite some of my outline but that's okay! I think most of you will be happy with the outcome :) Drop me a review after you're done! Thanks!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

**Alice POV**

"Go away," my dear, sweet yet incredibly stupid brother growled after I had knocked on his door. My hand reached down and turned the door knob.

Locked.

Of course it would be locked. Maybe Edward wasn't a complete moron. I fished around in my curls until I pulled out a bobby pin. Kneeling so that I was eye level with the knob, I inserted the bobby pin into the keyhole, moving it around until I heard a quiet click. I smirked. Idiot.

I pushed the door open resulting in a loud bang when his door hit the wall. His head snapped in my direction. I smiled and waved. He snarled.

"What part of go away don't you understand?"

"When have I ever listened to you?"

"Good point." He rolled over onto his side away from me.

"Why do you have to be such a jerk? She tried to apologize to you and you spoke to her like she was nothing."

"She is nothing," he mumbled.

I just stared at him. What the hell was going on here? Even all liquored up he didn't talk to anyone that way.

"You don't mean that!" I stomped over to his bed and grabbed hold of some skin on his arm giving it a good twist. He jumped and hissed in pain. A tiny bruise was already forming.

Good. Serves him right.

"Now, you're going to listen to me, Edward Anthony!" He glared at me as he rubbed his arm. "You are my brother and I love you but I'm ashamed of your behavior. No matter what Bella did you can't treat anyone the way you did."

"Maybe you should tell that to _your _friend."

"You don't get it do you? I'm cutting her some slack. She was in love with that guy. She wanted to marry him and have his babies. It's been two months. You just don't get over that kind of hurt. How would you react if Kate had pulled what that asshole had?" His anger was wavering. He knew that I was right. I saw it in his eyes. "You would have reacted just like Bella. It wouldn't matter to you who was trying to help."

"Are you finished?"

I reached out for more skin but he flinched away. He should be afraid.

"Do I look like I'm finished? Gosh, Edward. For being a doctor you sure are stupid." I look a seat at the end of his bed. "She's falling in love with you."

"What? No she isn't!"

I rolled my eyes. You would think that in the twenty-one years since my birth that he would get it by now. I was Mary Alice Cullen and I was never wrong.

"Mark my words, Brother Dear. You and Bella are It for each other. You'll get married and Addie will take your name, of course. I see four more babies in your future."

He snorted. "You're insane."

I stood from his bed. "And you're in denial."

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><p><strong>Bella POV<strong>

Alice, Rosalie and Angela were sprawled all over the floor when I got up to check on Addie. Her door was cracked open and her lamp was on. Peaking in, I saw Edward with Addie in their special place. The rocking chair. He was rocking back and forth. Addie's head rested against his shoulder.

"I've made such a mess of thing with your mom, Ad. I knew that I shouldn't have gotten involved," Edward confided to my daughter. "I knew that she was mad and scared. Alice is right. I'm a huge idiot."

Addie made a gurgling sound and attempted to reach for Edward. He took her hand in his and kissed it. I didn't feel right about looking in on their bonding moment but I couldn't bring myself to look away. I was curious to hear what else Edward had to say. We had made a huge mess of things last night and I hoped to make amends with him before I had to go back home.

"What am I going to do? Alice is convinced that Bella loves me. God if that was true…" he sighed. "I don't think I could handle it if Alice was wrong."

What…?

I backed away from the door and tried to process everything that I had just heard. Alice had gone and talked to him? Now how was I going to fix things? Every time I saw him it was just going to be awkward. I had to leave and soon. I rushed down the hall and threw whatever I could into my duffle bag. I only had a week's worth of belongings and whatever Addison needed usually stayed here for when Esme watched her.

I would worry about folding the clothes when I got back home. I stopped to survey the room. Was I forgetting anything? My eyes landed on my worn copy of Wuthering Heights that sat on the night stand next to the bed. Beside it sat an envelope and a long silver box. I took a few steps toward the night stand before hitting the floor with a thud. I growled at my shoes before sitting up to rub my sore knees.

_Good going, Grace…_

A throat cleared from above me, forcing me to take a break from the rubbing and glance up. Edward stood in the doorway. No Addie insight. His hair was tousled, either from running his hands through it constantly or from sleep. I couldn't be quite sure. Either way he looked good enough to eat.

_Stop it, Bella. Focus on the task at hand._

"Going somewhere?" His voice made my heart beat like crazy. I grabbed hold of the comforter on the bed and hoisted myself out. When I turned to face him, a scowl was on his beautiful face. His eyes were glaring at my bag.

"I was... um…" Why did this have to be so hard? "I was getting ready to head back home."

"Why?"

I shrugged. There was no way that I was going to admit to him that I was a fucking coward who didn't want to sit down like an adult and talk out our problems. Maybe earlier I did but he had just brushed me off as if it was nothing.

_You're just as guilty._

I hated this stupid inner monologue that I kept having with myself. Edward looked so angry that I was packing up and leaving everything… leaving him. He valued the time he had with Addison. I loved sneaking around and taking pictures of the two of them. I loved the crooked grin he would shoot at me after catching me in the act.

"I just think… I think I've worn out my welcome," I finally replied.

"Don't let me scare you off. You don't have to go."

"I do, Edward. This isn't my home."

His eyes darted from my face back to my duffle bag. He looked like he was at war with himself. He let out a loud breath of air and in two quick strides he was ride in front of me.

"Would you stay just for a little bit longer if I asked you to?"

"Please, Edward. Don't… don't do this to me."

"Maybe you're just too scared that someone might actually want to be with you."

"Don't play with me like this."

"You aren't scared. You're down right terrified and do you know why? It's because you may just want to be with me too." Edward's voice was a whisper now. With a sigh, his forehead rested against mine just as my eyes drifted closed. "I like having you and Addie here. I'm sorry for the way that I behaved earlier. I –"

"I deserved it. I didn't treat you much better."

"You were terrified. I get it now."

I sighed. He was so close that I could smell the soap he had used. He smelled so good… I could just tilt my head up a little bit and kiss him. Right now that's all I wanted. I was done playing keep away with him.

"Bella?"

"Hm?"

"Please stay."

"Okay…"

Even with my eyes closed, I knew that he was smiling. "I love you, Bella."

"You can't say things like that to me, Edward. I can't…"

With shaking hands, he lifted my face up so I could meet his eyes. Before I could say anything else, his lips were on mine. They were soft and cautious at first before the kiss grew more and more urgent with want and need. His hands left my face and wrapped tightly around me. It felt like he was afraid that I would leave him if he didn't hold me there. Truth was, I don't think I could go anywhere even if I wanted to.

Never in my life had I felt a kiss like this. This was where I wanted to be. Right now, here with Edward, it felt right. James had never kissed me like this. He definitely never made me feel this way. It felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest. Edward stopped the kiss and put his forehead back against mine. We both fought to catch our breath.

"Wow…"

"Yeah."

_Yeah? Really, Swan? That's the best that you could come up with?_

A deep chuckle came from Edward. He pulled away before directing me to the bed. He sat down and pulled me down into his lap. He kissed me before meeting my gaze. "I want you to know that I thought long and hard about everything. I do love you and I love Addie. I can see the wheels turning and it isn't just an act."

The familiar heat of my blush crept up from my neck to my ears. "Sorry. It's just… it seems too good to be true, yknow?"

"Has Alice told you how our parents met?" I shook my head. What did his parents have to do with anything? "When my parents met, my mother was a single mom. I was a little bit older than Addie they said. My mom was leaving an abusive relationship. She was done being hit and she didn't want me to grow up in that kind of environment. Carlisle treated her in the ER for a sprained wrist and gave her a place to stay. It just happened to be in the apartment above his garage. My mother swears that she fell in love with him because of how he was with me. They weren't together very long before she found out that she was pregnant with Alice. They got married after they found out and I became a Cullen."

"Do you wish you knew him?"

"My sperm donor?" He shook his head. "No. He hurt my mother and he didn't want me. Carlisle is my father in every way but blood."

I tried to process everything he had just told me. It had never occurred to me that our situations were so very similar. It was finally starting to make sense why Alice had pushed Edward towards me. Her parents had gotten their happy ending and she wanted us to be that way as well. I quickly ran my hands through my hair to calm my nerves. It was still too much to process so early in the morning.

"I'm worried that she will grow too attached to you and you'll be done with us."

"That's not going to happen."

"How do you know?"

He kissed me again. "I was ready to come in here and throw myself at your feet. I was prepared to beg, Bella. I saw your bag all packed and it felt like my heart was going to rip in half. We both behaved stupidly last night. Our fears mixed with alcohol got the best of us. It happens. I can't promise you that I'll never get mad at you or leave but I will always come back. I'm in this too deep. I love you and I love that baby. I'm not going anywhere."

I sucked in a breath of air. I wasn't ready for this but I also knew that unless I took a chance I would never be ready. I couldn't keep waiting around, hoping that James would change. I didn't even want him to change. We were better off without him.

"Edward?"

"Hm?"

"We love you too."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! Sorry it took me a few weeks to push out an update. I wanted something a bit carefree for a change but Bella and Edward didn't want to comply. I hope you enjoy this chapter and pleeeease drop me a review when you're done. Thanks!**

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><p>Chapter Eleven<p>

"So what now?"

"Hm?"

I turned my body to face his. We had been sitting in the guest room for almost thirty minutes, just holding hands and enjoying each others company. I had enjoyed the silence between us until I didn't. My brain decided to go into overdrive and think about everything.

"What are we?" I asked. "What do we tell people?"

"Bella."

"What if this thing – whatever it is – doesn't work out? Do I lose you? Do I lose Alice? What happens to Addie?"

"Bella."

"What if –"

"What if nothing," Edward interrupts. "Nothing will happen. We'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure? The most important thing that I have learned in the last few months is that nothing is ever set in stone."

I didn't get it.

He seemed so sure of everything and here I was. A basket case. He would probably get sick of all the drama and leave. I couldn't really blame him if he did. My life was full of crazy. As if he was sensing my very thoughts, Edward squeezed my hand and I refocused my attention on him.

"If you don't want this, you need to tell me, Bella," Edward said. "As much as it would pain me to do so, I would walk away. Don't let my crazy sister influence your decisions."

"She just wants me to have what she and Jasper have," I explained. And I did want what they had. I deserved to be happy, didn't i?

"Alice wants everyone to be happy. She's known Jasper for like a month and she hair their wedding planned right down to the table cloths. My sister, even though I love her, is a quack."

"Alice is not a quack! She's just… different," I explained. "I envy her."

"What? Why?"

I sighed. "Alice has a different way of seeing things. She's able to see the beauty and the good. And she's always happy. I've only ever saw her get truly angry at James. She's fiercely loyal too. I had friends in high school but they don't compare to my friendship with your sister. She's that once in a lifetime friend. Once you have that, you're set for life."

"You think very highly of her."

I nod. "I do."

"I'm glad."

"And you're stalling," I laugh. "I'm serious, Edward. What are we? What do I tell people? I just blurted out to you that I love you. Those words are hard for me to say just so you know."

Edward reached his hand up and began to twirl my hair around his fingers. His emerald eyes sparkled as he gazed at me. Softly, he pressed his lips to mine.

"You want to know what we are, Pretty Girl?" The more he touched me, the faster my heart sped up. He was going to give me a heart attack if he wasn't careful. "You and me… we're fate. You want to know why I'm so sure? Because I know what I want and I'll do whatever I can to make things work with you. We don't have to put a label on what our relationship is but people will ask and I would like to be able to tell them that you're my girl. And one day, I'll tell them that you're my wife and that Addie is _my_ daughter."

The way Edward talked with such conviction brought tears to my eyes. I was sure that what I had with James had been love. Maybe for a little bit of time it was but with Edward I knew that he truly loved me. He wore his heart on his sleeve and for that I was thankful. I had always second guessed everything. I had fooled myself into thinking that I knew where I stood with James. I was nothing but a damn fool that entire horrible fake relationship.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"You mean it, don't you?"

"Every last word. From day one, I was enamored by this sweet baby and her mother. I never felt that I could feel this way about anyone and Addie? I don't care if she's James', she is _my _daughter. She was mine from practically the beginning. No one but me has that kind of bond with her. I'm prepared to fight for the both of you if it comes down to it."

"So… let me see if I have this right. I'm your girl?"

Edward leaned back on the bed and used his elbows for support. He couldn't keep himself from smiling. "Yep."

"And you plan on making me – a girl you've known for just a few months – your wife."

"On their first date, Alice told Jasper that they were going to get married."

I barked out a laugh. "I heard something about that."

"She told him that they'll date for six months before getting engaged. They're be engaged for another six months. She has it all planned out."

"I take back what I said. Maybe Alice is a quack."

It was Edward's turn to laugh. It was nice to finally be back to talking like normal human beings for once. All of the anger was beginning to drive me insane. I missed the laid back attitude that our relationship had.

"I don't know, Bella," Edward said. "Maybe Alice is onto something."

"You both are crazy," I said with a snort before also leaning back on my elbows. Edward jabbed me in the side which illicited a loud squeal from me. Before I knew it, I was completely on my back and Edward was hovering over me. His legs had me caged in as he tickled me.

"Say you love me!" he demanded.

"No!"

"Say it, Isabella!" My laughter filled the room as he continued to tickle me in my most ticklish spot – my sides. I fought against him but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break free. "Say you love me."

"I love you!" I laughed.

"Say you'll marry me!"

"Edward!"

"Bella."

"Okay! Okay! I'll marry you!"

The tickling stopped abruptly and when I opened my closed eyes, Edward was looking down at me with the goofiest grin I have ever seen. He still had me caged in with his legs as he slowly lowered his body down on top of mine, placing his arms on each side of my head. "You know, us Cullens mate for life," he whispered. He was back to playing with my hair. "There's no going back."

"Great," I sighed.

"So for now, we are boyfriend and girlfriend. In… let's say… a year, I plan on asking you to be my wife. After you say yes…"

"How do you know that I'll say yes?"

"You already agreed, Pretty Girl."

"Right."

"Anyway, after you say yes, I will ask if I can also adopt Addie. I love both of my girls and both of my girls should carry my last name."

"You're just as crazy as your sister!"

"But you love me."

"I do," I softly replied. "I don't know why but I do."


	12. Chapter 12

**So I'm back... again. I hope all of you are still with me. I decided that every Wednesday True Colors will be updated. I only have one class that is from 9-10am and I usually don't work. Plenty of time to update :) I apologize for this chapter being so short after months away but it just felt finished. I have already started working on the next chapter so I hope to see plenty reviews in my inbox.**

**Review and I will reply with a sneak peak of Chapter 13! Enjoy :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>2

In the months that I had known Bella Swan, I had never seen her so happy. Her smile never once left her face. She danced instead of walked. She sang.

And boy could she sing.

I caught her one morning after breakfast singing and swaying those hips. For once, she didn't have a care in the world. Alice was perched on the counter, drying the dishes and putting them away as Bella washed and handed them to her. She caught me staring and her blue-gray eyes narrowed.

She knew.

She knew and she still hadn't said anything to either of us. Alice wasn't one to sit and wait for people to come to her. She always took the initiative.

That's why today – the day Bella was heading back home – I sought Alice out instead of spending time with my girls. Not knowing what my sister was up to was eating me alive. I had to talk to her and then I would take Bella out to lunch before she left.

"Looking for me?"

I spun around and came face to face with Alice. Addie was strapped to Alice's chest in some baby contraption while snoring quietly.

"You're going to end up spoiling her with how much you carry her in that thing," I told her.

Alice arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow at me. "Somehow I don't think that's what you really wanted to tell me," she said. Her hand gently brushed over Addie's head. "Besides, Addie loves her Auntie Alice bonding time."

"And where is Bella?"

"Went to town," she answered. "Why? Hoping to catch another show?" Alice walked pass me, pulling Addie out of the carrier as she went. Addie made a quiet, grunting noise but was silent again after being placed in her swing. Alice turned the swing on and Addie began to sway back and forth. "So you and Bella huh?"

I tore my eyes from the swaying baby and looked at my sister. Her arms were crossed and she didn't look very happy with the idea of her brother and best friend.

"Is that such a bad thing?" I asked.

"Well I don't know, Edward. Just a few nights ago, the two of you couldn't stand each other."

"And we fixed things." She was really beginning to confuse me. She had sided with Bella. She wanted us to fix things and now she was angry? I didn't get it. "I thought you wanted us together, Al. what happened to us being IT for each other? Since you two became friends, you wanted us to meet and now that we have and something is blossoming, you're ticked. Make up your mind already." Alice opened her mouth to interrupt but I held up a hand to stop her. I wasn't finished yet. "Bella and I care about one another. I want forever with her, Alice."

"Then you need to be honest with her, Edward."

"You want me to tell her about Katie." Alice nodded. I groaned and thrust a hand through my hair. I was doing well with not thinking about her until recently. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Do you love Bella?"

"I do."

"She deserves to know about your past, Edward. You don't need to forget her."

The familiar tightness in my chest was back. I rubbed the achy spot, urging it to go away. Since I had Bella and Addie, I barely noticed it. I wanted it gone.

"She's going to think that I'm using her… that she's a replacement." My voice cracked as I fought to keep my emotions in check. I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to feel this kind of pain because when I did, it brought me to my knees. "I can't lose her too, Alice."

Alice's tiny arms wrapped tightly around me just as I began to lose control. "It's okay," she whispered. "It's okay, Edward."

The pain of missing Katie was becoming so unbearable. I clutched tightly to my sister. She was my only life line right now.

"I can't, Alice."

"You won't."

"I love her so much. If I lose her, I don't think I will survive it."

"It's okay," she soothed. "Bella and you will be alright. I know it hurts, honey, but if you want any kind of future with her then you need to tell her everything. About Kate. How you feel. Everything."

I pulled away from Alice as I struggled to calm down. Alice's own face was wet with tears. Her hands came up to my face to wipe my own away.

"Edward?" a soft voice called from the doorway.

Alice and I both turned in the direction of my name. Bella stood there two bags of groceries in her arms. My sister quickly rushed over and took the bags from Bella. Almost as if she was unsure of herself, Bella approached me. Her brown eyes were filled with pain and my heart ached even more. I had caused that hurt look on her face.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

I struggled to speak; my throat sore from crying. "We um…" I hesitated. "Will you… I mean… shit."

"Hey. Talk to me."

"Can we go for a walk or something?" I managed to ask. "It's' really important that we talk."

I could see the wheels turning in her head and hated myself for putting any doubts into her head. She turned to Alice but Alice only waved a hand at her.

"Go," she ordered. "I'll watch Addie."

"Thanks, Al." I took Bella's hand in mine, leading her through the door she had just walked through.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. My internet went down so this is getting posted early Thursday instead of Wednesday. If you also reviewed within the last day to day and half and you didn't get a sneak peak of this chapter, I apologize. **

**Same thing goes for this chapter... leave a review and you will get a sneak peak into Chapter 14. Also, you now have to login to leave a review. I like to be able to comment back :) Happy reading and see you next week!  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

I led Bella towards the back of my parents' house, neither one of us saying a word. If we were going to have this kind of talk, I wanted to do this where we could both feel comfortable and relaxed. The walk into the woods gave me a bit of time to think about what I could say to Bella.

"Edward, the woods?" Bella had stopped dead in her tracks. "You do know that I'm extremely clumsy, right?"

I glanced around the backyard before landing my eyes on the little swing my mother insisted on having out here. "You're right. What was I thinking?" I tugged on Bella's hand, pulling her towards the swing. "Come on."

Hand in hand, we walked towards the swing. Okay so maybe I wouldn't have a lot of time to think about what I was going to say to her. I could just wing it.

_The truth, Edward. Just tell her the truth._

The truth. Right.

Bella slipped her shoes off before sitting down on the swing, pulling me down with her.

"I'm thinking about moving out," I told her. "There's a condo just a little bit south of here. The commute to the hospital would be a bit longer but it's about time, don't you think? Who wants their twenty-something son living with them?"

"Esme would have you stay here forever if that's what you wanted."

"I was thinking I could move out and I could set up a place for Addie."

"We just started seeing each other. I don't think overnight stays will be happening anytime soon."

"Oh yeah," I sighed. I knew I was babbling but it had seemed like a decent ice breaker.

_You're stalling._

"Edward." I couldn't look at her because if I did, I would surely lose it all over again. "Edward, please. Please look at me." Bella's hand came forward and took mine in hers. She used her free hand to force me to look at her. "You can tell me anything."

I raised my free hand and brushed my thumb along the side of her face. I tried to smile at her but I failed. The smile felt forced.

"I'm terrified."

"You don't have to be."

I inhaled and exhaled as I placed a strand of hair behind Bella's ear. "I don't want you to hate me for keeping something so big from you."

"Never."

"You and Alice have known each for a while. I know she hasn't told you a lot about me but she always saw us as being the perfect couple. Alice didn't really like Katie and I think that's why she pushed so hard for us to meet. I had known Kate since kindergarten but we didn't start dating until we were sophomores. She was so full of life. Always smiling. Nothing ever seemed to bother her. We had big plans. We would go to Dartmouth together. She would be pre-law. I would be pre-med. We both worked hard to get out of Washington and after we graduated high school, we packed up and made the journey out East together. It was just the two of us until Alice followed two years later. She and Katie were always getting into it. Katie couldn't understand why Alice disliked her so much. I chalked it up to a baby sister not used to sharing her big brother." I glanced down at our joined hands and ran my thumb over her knuckles. Why did something like this have to be so hard? "We worked year round to get done sooner. We were beginning to think about the future."

Bella's hand tightened around mine. I glanced up at her and saw that what I feared was becoming a reality. She was going to scream and tell me we were through. "Leading up to graduation, we had talked extensively about babies and marriage so we were somewhat prepared when she found out. She didn't want to be a lawyer anymore. Katie wanted to stay at home and I agreed. We left Dartmouth and made our way back to Seattle. I was going to be starting my residency soon which meant long hours. Being near our parents put my mind at ease. The pregnancy wasn't being kind to her. She was sick for days and could barely make it to the bathroom on time. My mother and her mother, Carmen, or her sisters, Tanya and Irina, even Alice, when she was home, would take turns staying with her. The day it happened… it was my first week of my residency in Seattle. She was almost six months along and rather than typical pregnancy problems, she had the flu. She couldn't even walk by herself. Carmen was due in thirty minutes so I didn't think anything of it. She assured me she would be fine."

"Edward…"

"I had only been at work for forty minutes when Carmen called me in tears." I took a deep breath in an attempt to hold back my emotions. "Carmen got to the house and it was on fire. The police, the firefighters… they were already there, trying to put it out. Just as she got out of her car, they were bringing Katie out of the house. She was already gone. They said that it looked like she had attempted to get up to go to the bathroom and knocked over the candle she had lit. She was so sick that she couldn't get back up and suffocated from the smoke. After the funeral, I came back here. I couldn't live in that house with those memories. Alice went and packed up everything so I didn't have to. All of the baby stuff is in some storage shed. It's been two years and I still can't look at any of it."

"Losing a loved one is hard, Edward," Bella whispered. "Losing the love of your life and your child is even harder."

"So you don't hate me?"

Bella pulled her hand back like she had been burned. "I could never hate you, Edward. Especially because of something like that."

"I figured you would think I was trying to replace them with you and Addie."

"Are you trying to replace them?"

My head jerked up and I looked at Bella. "No! No, of course not. I just… I don't know what I'm doing right now."

"Neither do I but we'll work through it together, Edward." The swing moved as Bella brought her feet up underneath her. "So the baby… were they a boy or a girl?"

"Do you really want to know?"

She nodded. "I do."

I couldn't keep the smile off my face. She seemed genuinely interested when I told her the baby was going to be a girl and I named her Leah Rae, the name Katie and I had picked out together. I told her how if the baby would have been a boy we planned on naming him Aaron. She moved closer to me and told me they were beautiful names. Then she asked about Katie. Her likes, her dislikes, what kind of car she drove.

"Why are you so interested?"

"Because they're a part of you."


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry that this is 2 (maybe 3?) days late. With it being -15 to -30 here in Ohio and a sick little girl, its been hard for me to finish this chapter. I finally pushed it out and I'm kind of iffy about it but I promise that our story will be picking up very very soon... followed by an emotional roller coaster ride :D **

**I'd also like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter. I hope I replied to each and every one of you. Now ya'll know the drill. Please review and I'll send you a sneak peak of the next chapter.**

**Happy reading and Happy Saturday, everyone!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

**BPOV**

Edward's confession was a lot to take in and I know that he would have had to find a lot of courage in order to tell me something so huge like that.

It explained why Alice had headed home for spring break a couple years back instead of us going to Cancun like we had planned. Her only response at the time was that there had been a family emergency.

Most women wouldn't understand Edward's need to tell me all about Katie or their unborn baby. Most women in my position would have assumed that they were a replacement for what he had lost.

Not me.

Edward's intentions were clear in just about everything that he did or said. The man wore his heart on his sleeve. You knew that he loved Addie just by how he would interact with her. When he kissed me or held my hand, it felt like my whole body was on fire.

No one had ever been able to make me feel like that before.

"You okay?" Edward's smooth voice asked, pulling me out from deep within my head. I turned to look at him, giving him my undivided attention. "You got awfully quiet after everything that I told you. Are you sure it doesn't bother you?"

I shrugged before moving closer to him. He took my hand in his. The familiar burn was back. "Why would it bother me?" I asked.

"Because I didn't tell you right away?"

"Why would you? If Alice didn't have such a big mouth and if I wasn't the daughter of Chief Charlie Swan, no one would know about James."

"How come?"

"I just don't want anyone all up in my business to be honest with you," I told him. "No one needs to know how I feel about everything… what I think about being a single mother… what I think about that SOB… what I think you or our relationship. That's my business but Forks is such a small town. Everyone knows everything about everybody. It gets old."

"You miss Dartmouth."

"Of course I do," I laughed. "What kind of question is that? I was almost done with my program. I had friends there..." Edward gave me a look and I couldn't keep the giggle inside. "Yes, I had friends other than Alice… but let's be realistic, Edward. I wasn't going to be able to do it all on my own. No way in hell would I leave Addie with someone that I didn't know and with no place to live. I wanted someone reliable and trustworthy so I could work and go to school. Our mothers have been such godsends. Even Alice has taken Addie out just so I could catch up sleep." I sighed and tightened my hold on Edward's hands.

God do I miss sleep…

"I know they say that there's plenty of fish in the sea but I'm pretty sure that you're my Nemo." A snort escaped Edward causing me to throw my head back and laugh. "That wasn't very gentlemanly."

"Is that sleep deprivation talking?"

I rolled my eyes and playfully nudged him. "Shut up." So maybe what I had just said was completely out there but it didn't matter. It was nice to be carefree for once in my life. It was nice sitting here with Edward and baring all. No secrets meant no stress. Now I understood why Alice was always so happy.

"You've been hanging out with my sister way too much," Edward chuckled.

"That's what you do when you have a best friend, Edward. You just pick a human you've met and you're all 'Yep. I like this one…' then you just do stuff with them."

I chanced a glance at Edward. He was staring at me with this funny expression on his face. Suddenly, I felt very insecure. It was like he was silently judging me… waiting for more word vomit to spew from my face.

"You're so much like Emmett."

What?!

"Take it back."

"What?"

"I am nothing like him," I laughed.

"Um yeah. You are. Everything that you have said has either been something your brother or my sister would say. It's a bit creepy."

"Your face is creepy."

Lies. I'm going to hell for lying.

"What does that even mean?"

"No idea."

I briefly caught Edward smiling which caused me to smile as well. I couldn't help wondering what he was thinking about. It must be something good if he was smiling like that.

"Did Alice tell you that I'm thinking about moving out?"

"Really?"

I was surprised by his announcement. There hadn't been any indication that he wanted to leave Carlisle an Esme's. Alice hadn't even mentioned it in passing. Of course he was in his mid-twenties and if I could afford it and live comfortably, I wouldn't be living with my parents either.

"I found a condo between here and Port Angeles," he told me. "I wasn't planning on moving out so soon but things change."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

Edward gave a brief nod. "I wasn't planning on being so captivated with you for starters," he said and of course I just had to blush. "I don't know about you but I would like to be alone with my girlfriend without my meddling sister watching our every move."

"You know that we will never be completely alone right? I do have a two month old baby or did you forget about her?" I teased.

"Well I knew that, Smartass!" We both laughed. "I was kind of hoping that you wouldn't be against the idea of me setting up something at my place when the time comes?"

Oh my.

This gorgeous man just kept surprising me. He was so forgiving and so patient with me. He wasn't pushing for more than I was capable of giving him right now. I couldn't even keep how giddy I was inside.

He wanted alone time with me!

He wanted Addie to have her own room. At his place!

"If you don't think that it's a good idea that I won't do it," he said. "I just figured that if she had her own room then she would be more comfortable… you could relax a bit." He seemed nervous all of a sudden. A shaky hand pushed through his hair and he made brief eye contact with me. "And when you're up for it… maybe an overnight stay or two?"

"Don't you think you're jumping the gun a little bit? We just got together."

"I didn't mean right now but I am a man and I have most definitely thought about having you in my bed."

Hot damn.

Pretty sure the green was now permanently etched onto my face and I never wanted it to go away.

"Bella! Edward!" I turned away from Edward and looked in the direction of my name being called. Alice stood on the deck, holding a very upset Addie. "She's hungry!"

I stood from the swing, pulling Edward up with me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. He pressed his lips against mine.

Yep. My stupid grin just got even bigger.

"We'll talk more about this later?" he whispered as he released me.

I nodded. "It's a date.


	15. Chapter 15

**Happy Wednesday, Everybody! I wanted to push this out before I went to bed for the night. I worked pretty hard on this chapter and had help from Harry Potter fanfic writer, Colie88. I owe a lot of the success of this story to her. She helps me make difficult choices and lets me bounce idea after idea off her. If it sucks, she tells me and even though she isn't a Twilight fan by any means, she still proofreads it for me. :) I also discovered that I enjoy torturing the characters. I apologize but I can't help it. Hahaha! **

**Thanks to all the kind reviews from the previous chapter and I hope you all enjoy this one. I'm considering releasing another chapter this weekend if I have time. I'm off work and going wedding dress/house hunting this weekend but if I can get it written, I should have some open availability. I also would like to know if there are any outtakes you would like to see, what you think is going to happen throughout the story, etc. Drop me a review with your ideas! If you review, I reply with a peak into the next chapter and you're in for a surprise with chapter 16. **

**Have a good day!**

**~ CK**

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

It was now October and I had moved back in with my parents. They were thrilled to have us back home and fawned over Addie on a daily basis. As soon as we were back home, our agreement from my birthday kicked in.

Every night, I was banned from the house until 11 o'clock. Usually I took the hour before Edward got off work to look for employment. After a week, it became tiresome. Newton's Outfitters hired me on as a full time employee until I started back to school I January then they would drop me down to part time.

Now my Friday's consisted of hanging out with Alice until Edward and Jasper were done with work.

"I'm going to have a party!" Alice squealed. "I'm thinking October 29. Just in time for Halloween. What do you think?"

"Sounds great, Al."

"I thought so!" Alice smiled at me before taking a sip of her coke. We currently sat at the diner, waiting for both of our guys so that we could head to a movie in Port Angeles. "Now, let's go over your choices."

I choked on a French fry just as Alice pulled out a thick three page binder. Choices? I had _choices_? "Don't you think you're going a bit overboard?" Alice tilted her head like a confused puppy dog. "Why are you carrying that monstrosity around with you?" I leaned over the table to look at her bag that sat next to her. "How does that thing even fit inside your bag?"

"It's not just Halloween, Bella! That would be ludicrous!" She opened her binder and began flipping through page after page.

Holy cow. It was even color coded.

"So are you going to tell your BFF what else is in there?"

Alice glanced up at me before looking back down.

"I would but then I would have to kill you."

"Alice!"

"Okay! Okay! It's just filled with sketches… ideas for parties…" She shrugged. "That sort of thing."

"What'd you have planned for this year?" I asked.

This time when Alice looked up, she didn't look away. No. She kept staring and I was beginning to grow uncomfortable. Both Esme and Renee could pull off that work too.

Great.

Now three of them would drive me insane. Let's hope that Rose didn't start with it too.

"You really wanna know?" she hesitantly asked. I nodded. "Are you sure? Because every time I try to plan something, you try to talk your way out of it."

"I do not."

There's the look again.

Crap.

Did I really try to talk my way out of everything? Judging by her look, I most certainly did.

I was such a terrible friend.

"Aw, Al," I sighed. I reached across the table, taking her hand in mine. I gave it a firm but gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry. You know that I've never liked to be the center of attention but this time I promise not to fight you. As long as it's appropriate then I'll go along with it."

"Really?!" A huge smile broke across Alice's face. I pulled my hand into my lap and nodded. "Thanks, Bells!"

"Now… what did you have in mind?"

"I thought we could all dress up relatively the same. A group theme if you will and I promise that it will be child friendly. My parents are also hosting a thing at the children's hospital in Seattle and I volunteered us to make an appearance!"

"Alice!"

"I'm sorry but they thought it would be great for the kids."

"Ugh. You could have at least consulted with me first."

"Well they sort of just sprung it on me and we both know that I have a horrible problem with word vomit when under pressure from the parentals."

"Did you think that I can't just pick up and travel three hours to Seattle? What am I going to do with the baby?"

"She's coming too. Your mom volunteered the Chief and herself. They're going as Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Mom is trying to con Dad into going as the Rubbles."

I barked out a laugh. "You three are incorrigible."

Alice gave me a cheeky grin. Edward's grin. It was clear that they both got their personality from Esme. "You are my best friend. You are my human diary and my other half, Bella. You mean the world to me and I love you."

I quirked an eyebrow at Alice. "I thought your other half was Jasper."

"Shush you!" she laughed. "He totally knows that I would leave him for you." I stuck my tongue out at her just as she held up two pieces of paper. "Now choose... Wizard of Oz or Famous Disney Couples."

I stared at the two pieces of paper. Alice had spent her time drawing each of us in various costumers. I took the two pieces of paper from her and looked them over. If she wasn't sure of an idea, several other drawings accompanied the person drawn.

"My kid isn't going to be a flying monkey, Al," I laughed.

"She could be Toto or even a munchkin!"

"No."

I slid the Wizard of Oz sketches across the table and back over to her. I continued to look over the Disney sketches, only hearing a quick click from Alice closing her binder from hell.

"So Disney then?" Alice asked.

"Addie would make a cute Minnie Mouse."

"I know right?"

"Now why is there only one choice for Jake and Angie?"

A loud sigh escaped her. "Honestly, Bella! Jacob Black is even more pig headed then you!"

"Hey!"

"Sorry but it's true. He said he would only dress up as them. He shot down the idea of Aladdin and Jasmine. Ange refused to be Shang and Mulan."

I nodded while looking over the choices that Alice had chosen for me and Edward. There were several. It was like she couldn't make up her mind when it came to us.

Hercules and Meg.

Woody and Jessie.

Belle and Beast.

All were great choices and the designs Alice had created were gorgeous.

"You really outdid yourself, Alice."

"Thanks! So? Which one for you and Edward?"

I looked over my choices once more before placing the paper down and pointing at my choice. "This one," I told her. "I like this one."

"Like what?" a velvety voice asked.

I looked up and grinned at Edward, scooting over so that he could sit down beside me. Alice hurriedly put her sketches away as Jasper approached our booth. She shot me a look and I immediately understood.

Neither one of the guys knew about the party or how they got roped into playing a part at a children's hospital.

"Alice was just showing me some of her most recent designs." I leaned over and place a kiss on Edward's cheek. "You are going to love them."

Alice had to put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

I couldn't wait to see their faces.

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><p><strong>October 29<strong>

"Emmett Swan! What in the hell are you wearing!"

My dear brother smiled widely. He didn't care that Alice was fuming or that she stopped just an inch above his waist. He seemed pretty confident that Alice wouldn't be able to beat his ass.

But I had it on good authority that Alice had a killer right hook.

"We are doing Disney, you big oaf!"

Emmett appeared taken aback. "This _is _Disney!"

"Ha! What character wears a belt around his head and underpants over his shorts?!"

"Alice, just let it go," Rosalie sighed. Her blond curls were piled on top of her head and she dressed in a blue sweater with pink polka dots, a blue skirt and pink sneakers. "You don't want to go against Emmett and his cartoons. He knows his stuff."

"I can't believe you agreed to go along with this asinine idea of his, Rosalie!"

"HEY!" Rosalie shouted. Her hands were now firmly planted on her hips. "If you wouldn't have me the Sleeping Beauty in _pink_ then this wouldn't have even been an issue!"

"Bellaaaaa!" Alice whined. "Please talk to these two! They'll ruin everything!"

And there was the foot stomp.

"Sorry, Al, no can do," I answered while applying my lipstick. "Emmett's right on a technicality."

Emmett's fist shot into the air in triumph. He reached to grab me but I jumped out of his way. "Of course I'm right! We had a standing breakfast date every Saturday morning."

"Okay then who are they?"

"Quail Man and Patty Mayonnaise, Alice."

"Who?"

"From Doug?"

"Bella! That was a show on Nickelodeon!"

"I told you that Emmett was right based on a technicality." Alice quirked her eyebrow up at me. For a minute she really resembled the character she was dressed as. "Doug ran on Nickelodeon from 91 to 94. Disney picked up the show in 1996 and released it during their Saturday morning cartoon lineup."

"Fine! But tomorrow in Seattle you two are dressed as Sleeping Beauty and Prince Philip, got me?"

"Awesome!" Jasper said when he came through the front door. "I never would have thought about going as Quail Man, man."

Emmett and Jasper did a fist bump before looking Jasper up and down. The wheels were clearly turning in his head before he turned back to Alice.

"I thought this was _couples. _You do know that Jessie doesn't end up with Woody right? It's Buzz and Jessie while Woody is with Bo Beep."

I turned on my heel to escape while I could and quickly headed upstairs to wake Addie from her nap.

Besides the new argument that Emmett had just started with Alice, the large Cullen house was fairly quiet. My parents had arrived about an hour ago dressed as Fred and Wilma. Dad had eaten up the compliments from Alice and Esme. I had never seen that man turn so red before.

"_Chim chiminey._

_Chim chiminey._

_Chim chim cher-ee_

_A sweep is as lucky _

_As lucky can be…"_

My white heels clicked on the hardwood floor as I neared Addie's room. Edward, with his bronze hair colored black for the evening and his face covered in filth, sat in the rocking chair. A small Minnie Mouse had her head resting against his chest as he rocked her. Her fist was shoved into her mouth and she gummed on it while listening to Edward sing.

"_Chim chiminey_

_Chim chiminey_

_Chim chim cher-oo!_

_Good luck will rub off when_

_I shake 'ands with you_

_Or blow me a kiss…"_

Edward reached down and kissed Addie on the top of head.

"_And that's lucky too."_

"You make a mighty fine Bert, Mister Cullen," I told him. He opened his eyes and gave me his signature crooked grin. He knew what he was doing to me. Just seeing him with Addie would make any woman's ovaries scream for more.

"Lookin' pretty good there, Mary Poppins," he replied. He made a jester with his head towards the door. "What's going on down there?"

"Just Emmett being Emmett," I laughed.

"Yeah?"

I nodded. "You should have seen it, Edward! I thought Alice's head was going to explode!"

"That bad?" he chuckled.

"He and Rose came as Quail Man and Patty Mayonnaise."

"Did she knee him in groin?"

"When we proved that Doug was a legit Disney show, she backed off then in walks Jasper."

"Uh oh."

"Yep. He started picking on her and going into detail about how Jessie and Buzz Lightyear are actually a couple so Jasper should be Buzz and not Woody."

"Well between you and me, my sister has some weird obsession with cowboys. I'm sure that's why they're going as Jessie and Woody."

"It's the accent."

"The accent?"

"Jasper has the southern twang," I explained. "They're originally from Texas."

"But Rosalie doesn't have it."

"It's from years of living in California. When they first moved to Forks, she would get made fun of for it. She did what she could to hide it but it comes out when she's really pissed off. Jasper never tried to get rid of it. He doesn't like to hide who he really is."

"Makes sense."

"So are you ready to head down for all the chaos? It's almost six."

Edward nodded and carefully stood up with Addie. Together, we made it downstairs to enjoy the Halloween party.

* * *

><p>Seeing the Chief and the two hot doctors seemed to really put the people of Forks into the Halloween spirit. They couldn't get enough of the Flintstones, Rubbles and the mighty fine Bert the Chimney Sweep.<p>

Edward had really gone all out for this. Not only did he darken his hair, he also went around speaking with an accent.

For over an hour, no one realized that he was actually Edward.

Edward Cullen had even gotten me to act the part of Mary Poppins. Somehow we ended up doing a performance of Jolly Holiday from the movie for the Yorkie kids.

Even though I was embarrassed, the smile on Alice's face was totally worth it.

"Emmett Dale Swan!" A loud voice shouted. All noise ceased to exist as we turned toward the commotion. My father – always in cop mode - was quickly approaching my brother. I moved through the crowd to get a better look at what was really going on.

Emmett was by the table that had the beverages. A bottle of something or other was clutched firmly in his hands and he looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

Oh shit.

Please tell me that he didn't…

"But I didn't do it!" Emmett cried out. Charlie looked from him to the incriminating evidence. When Emmett realized what he still held, he quickly put it down. "I swear."

"You were holding the damn bottle, Son!" Charlie bellowed. "You were holding the damn bottle _over_ the bowl."

Emmett rolled his eyes and I had to hold in my laughter. Even Rosalie didn't know whether to be pissed off or laugh at the whole messed up situation.

How could anyone take this seriously? One was Fred Flintstone and the other wore a belt around his head.

"It wasn't over the bowl because I didn't do it," Emmett snapped. "I took it off one of the Weber boys." Emmett glanced around. He was clearly looking for Angela's twin brothers, Derek and Davie. "I'm just not sure which one it was."

Dad scoffed. "Like I believe that a twelve year old was pouring some Wild Turkey into the punch."

"Well you should because I – who is your son by the way – didn't do it!"

"You're wearing your underwear outside of your shorts, Em," Charlie told him as he reached inside his costume and started fishing around inside.

Dear God, please don't be adjusting yourself right now…

"I'm Quail Man for crying out loud!" Emmett screamed.

"What's going on?" Edward asked as he approached me and Rose.

"Shhh," I told him.

"Her brother is in trouble with the Chief," Rose answered.

"My brother? He's your boyfriend."

"I only own his cute ass when he's a law abiding citizen. Tonight, he's yours, sweetheart."

"Gee. Thanks, doll."

"Yep."

We watched as Charlie pulled out a set of shiny handcuffs. Thank the Lord because I would have to pour some bleach into my eyes if he had been reaching for something else.

"Dad, come on," Emmett pleaded. "I so would not do that."

"I caught you red handed, Son." Charlie sounded so disappointed and hurt that he was about to arrest his own flesh and blood. "I'm sorry but I gotta take you down to the station."

Without any more of a fight, Emmett sighed and allowed our father to read him his rights and cuff him. Without another word from either one of them, Charlie led Emmett out the door. Wilma Flintstone was hot on the hell, screaming at Fred.


End file.
